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UrduAn experiment to study gravity at the quantum scale, insights into an antibiotic-building enzyme, and the backstory of an incredible new protein prediction algorithm are featured in this month’s roundup of science highlights.
Tag: Antibiotics
Hopkins Med News Update
NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:
-Study: Race and Ethnicity May Impact Prevalence and Treatment of Heart Valve Dysfunction
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Suggests Eliminating Nerve Cell Protein May Stop ALS, Dementia
-Researchers Tell Doctors to Avoid Routine Urinary Tests for Older Patients with Delirium
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Researchers Show How Air Pollution May Cause Chronic Sinusitis
-Researchers ID Location on Brain Protein Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development
-COVID-19 News: The Return of Onsite Schooling — and How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID
Babies at Risk for Diabetes May Have Microbiota Restored
Newborns at risk for Type 1 diabetes because they were given antibiotics may have their gut microorganisms restored with a maternal fecal transplant, according to a Rutgers study.
Antibiotic Prescriptions for Kids Plummet During Pandemic
Study finds that medications prescribed for children dropped by more than a quarter during the first eight months of the pandemic compared to the previous year, with the steepest declines in infection-related medicines like antibiotics and cough-and-cold drugs.
Antibiotics in Early Life Could Affect Brain Development
Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher.
Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Wednesday.
Can antibiotics treat human diseases in addition to bacterial infections?
A new Nature Communications study shows that eukaryotic ribosomes can be modified to respond to antibiotics in the same way that prokaryotic ribosomes do.
Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Wednesday.
Paleopharmaceuticals from Baltic amber might fight drug-resistant infections
For centuries, people in Baltic nations have used ancient amber for medicinal purposes. Now, scientists report compounds that help explain its therapeutic effects and that could lead to new medicines to combat antibiotic-resistant infections. They will present their results at ACS Spring 2021.
Five days of antibiotics fine for children with pneumonia
The study, involving 281 Ontario children, found that 85.7% of those who received the short course of antibiotics and 84.1% of those who received the longer course of medication were cured two to three weeks later.
Older adults and antibiotics: Study shows healthy attitudes but unhealthy practices
While most adults over 50 understand that overuse of antibiotics is a problem, and say they’re cautious about taking the drugs, a sizable minority have used antibiotics for something other than their original purpose, and appear to think the drugs could help treat colds, which are caused by viruses not bacteria.
Grant to help fill gaps in how livestock manure management affects antibiotic resistance
Iowa State University researchers received a $1 million grant to study how manure management systems in livestock production may give rise to antibiotic resistance. Human, animal and environmental health interact in complex ways that influence the pace at which antibiotic resistance spreads, and the researchers hope their work will shed light on these connections.
Why People Overuse Antibiotics
The overuse of antibiotics occurs due to the mistaken widespread belief that they are beneficial for a broad array of conditions and because many physicians are willing to prescribe antibiotics if patients ask for the medication, according to a Rutgers study.
Detecting trace amounts of multiple classes of antibiotics in foods
Researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have developed a method to simultaneously measure 77 antibiotics in a variety of foods.
Unlocking ‘the shape of water’ in mechanisms of antibiotic resistance
Researchers captured and comparted hi-res images of ribosome structures from sensitive and resistant bacteria and report that a water molecule needed for antibiotic binding was not present in the ribosomes from the drug-resistant bugs.
Antibiotics Not Needed After Most Sinus Surgeries According to Randomized Controlled Trial
A new randomized controlled trial has found antibiotics are not necessary after routine sinus surgery for preventing infection and optimizing patient outcomes.
Antibiotics for C-sections Effective After Umbilical Cord Clamped
Antibiotics for cesarean section births are just as effective when they’re given after the umbilical cord is clamped as before clamping – the current practice – and could benefit newborns’ developing microbiomes, according to Rutgers co-authored research. The study, by far the largest of its kind and published in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, challenges current recommendations for antibiotic use. Administering antibiotics after clamping does not increase the risk of infection at the site of C-section incisions, the study concludes.
Cataloging Nature’s Hidden Arsenal: Viruses that Infect Bacteria
A new approach for studying phage-bacteria interactions will help scientists study the intricate offensive and defensive chemical tactics used by parasite and host. These microscopic battles have implications for medicine, agricultural research, and climate science.
Hydrogen peroxide keeps gut bacteria away from the colon lining
An enzyme in the colon lining releases hydrogen peroxide – a known disinfecting compound- to protect the body from gut microbial communities. Findings from the UC Davis Health study points to importance of considering a different approach to treating gut inflammation and bacterial imbalance in the colon.
CODA Appendicitis Trial Shows the Risks and Benefits of Treating Appendicitis with Antibiotics Instead of Surgery
Antibiotics may be a good treatment choice for some appendicitis patients, according to early results from the Comparing Outcomes of antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Study finds antibiotics before age 2 associated with childhood health issues
In a retrospective case study, Mayo Clinic researchers have found that antibiotics administered to children younger than 2 are associated with several ongoing illnesses or conditions, ranging from allergies to obesity. The findings appear in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Antibiotics Could Replace or Delay Surgery for Appendicitis in Adults
Michigan Medicine participated in a large clinical trial which found that, in many cases, appendicitis can be safely and effectively treated with antibiotics instead of surgery.
Study Shows Antibiotics May be Viable Treatment Option for Appendicitis
Every year more than 250,000 people undergo surgery for appendicitis, making it one of the 20 most common surgeries performed in the United States.
In the largest randomized U.S. study of appendicitis published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from Henry Ford Health System and 24 other sites around the U.S. report that seven in 10 patients who received antibiotics avoided surgery and that patients who took antibiotics for symptom relief fared no worse in the short term than those who underwent surgery.
Antibiotics treat appendicitis as well as an appendectomy in the short term for most patients
Seven of 10 adults with appendicitis can safely avoid surgical removal of their appendix (appendectomy) for at least several months by receiving a course of antibiotics.
Benefits, risks seen with antibiotics-first for appendicitis
Antibiotics may be a good choice for some, but not all, patients with appendicitis, according to results from the Comparing Outcomes of Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial.
What looked like COVID-19 wasn’t; Beaumont ER doctor’s instinct, tenacity paid off for local business executive
Gary Corbin, 63, dropped a heavy hurricane window shutter, which gashed his leg before it hit the ground. After wintering in Florida, this resident of Grosse Pointe Farms had been helping his significant other close down her Palm Beach Gardens home before they returned to Michigan in mid-June. He treated the wound and kept it covered on the drive north.
Too many COVID-19 patients get unneeded “just in case” antibiotics
More than half of patients hospitalized with suspected COVID-19 in Michigan during the state’s peak months received antibiotics soon after they arrive, just in case they had a bacterial infection in addition to the virus, a new study shows. But testing soon showed that 96.5% of them only had the coronavirus, which antibiotics don’t affect.
Targeting iron uptake to create a new class of antibiotics against UTIs
Researchers report early progress toward developing a new class of antibiotics against urinary tract infections that would starve the causative bacteria of iron. They present their results today at the American Chemical Society Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo.
Pandemic could make drug resistance epidemic worse
Researchers fear that widespread use of antibiotics during the coronavirus pandemic will add fuel to the fire, making more common infections that were once treatable possibly life threatening.
Antibiotics in Early Life Slows Digestive Nerve Function, Alters Microbiome
Article title: Antibiotic exposure postweaning disrupts the neurochemistry and function of enteric neurons mediating colonic motor activity Authors: Lin Y. Hung, Pavitha Parathan, Prapaporn Boonma, Qinglong Wu, Yi Wang, Anthony Haag, Ruth Ann Luna, Joel C. Bornstein, Tor C. Savidge, Jaime…
Antibiotics in Early Life Slows Digestive Nerve Function, Alters Microbiome
A new study finds antibiotic exposure during crucial developmental periods in early childhood alters digestive tract nerve function and bacterial colonies. The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.
Exploring Nature’s Treasure Trove of Helpful Compounds
Compounds that plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals produce can sometimes help people as well. In fact, many medicines, molecules used in research, and other useful compounds originated in nature. Learn more about recent discoveries in the fascinating field of natural products research.
Researchers Find No Benefit for Treatment Used to Avoid Surgery for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
A new landmark study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) found that patients with a vascular condition, called abdominal aortic aneurysm, received no benefits from taking a common antibiotic drug to reduce inflammation.
Study describes cocktail of pharmaceuticals in waters in Bangladesh
An analysis revealed that water samples held a cocktail of pharmaceuticals and other compounds, including antibiotics, antifungals, anticonvulsants, anesthetics, antihypertensive drugs, pesticides, flame retardants and more. Not all chemicals were found at every test site.
CUR’s First Virtual Posters on the Hill Showcases Undergraduate Research to Policymakers, Scholars, and the Public
On April 21, students will participate in the 2020 Posters on the Hill event. This year, because of COVID-19 challenges, undergraduate researchers and faculty mentors from institutions such as Butler University, California State University–Fullerton, and University of Chicago will share their research online.
Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss Environmental Protection During COVID-19 Crisis
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 15, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Nicole Fahrenfeld and John Reinfelder are available for interviews on environmental protection issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fahrenfeld can discuss issues including microbial water quality, sewer issues (including what…
Antibiotics discovered that kill bacteria in a new way: McMaster
A new group of antibiotics with a unique approach to attacking bacteria has been discovered, making it a promising clinical candidate in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
The newly-found corbomycin and the lesser-known complestatin have a never-before-seen way to kill bacteria, which is achieved by blocking the function of the bacterial cell wall. The discovery comes from a family of antibiotics called glycopeptides that are produced by soil bacteria.
Study: How U.S. sewage plants can remove medicines from wastewater
A study of seven wastewater treatment plants points to two treatment methods — granular activated carbon and ozonation — as being particularly promising for reducing the concentration of pharmaceuticals including certain antidepressants and antibiotics.
Children Frequently Receive Unnecessary Medical Care Regardless of Insurance Type
Children with public insurance are slightly more likely to receive medical services that they don’t need than those with private insurance, a new study finds.
Why It Matters: Prescription for Disaster
Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. A major cause is their overuse in both humans and animals. At the same time, a lack of financial incentives is setting back efforts to discover new classes of antibiotics. The problem is both global and local, and without new initiatives, many common medical conditions could become deadly once again.
Closing of Second Antibiotic Company Highlights Urgent Need for Investment in Infection Fighting Drugs
The bankruptcy announced today by antibiotic maker Melinta once again highlights the daunting challenges facing research and development of new infection-fighting drugs. Melinta is the second antibiotic company this year forced into bankruptcy because it could not make a sufficient return on its investment in medicines that are urgently needed to protect individual and public health and national security. Melinta’s bankruptcy puts into jeopardy the continued availability of its four antibiotics — lifesaving tools that patients cannot afford to lose given our already limited antibiotic arsenal.
Good role models can help dairy farmers reduce antibiotic use
Researchers from Cornell University and the University of Wageningen used a social psychology approach to understand how dairy farmers’ views impact how and when they use antibiotics to treat their cows.
Maternal Antibiotic Treatment May Harm Preemies’ Lungs
New research in mice suggests that exposure to antibiotics before birth may impair lung development in premature infants. The study, the first to explore the gut-lung axis in prematurity, is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology and was chosen as an APSselect article for December.
Flu Preparedness Hearing Opens Opportunities for Vaccine, AMR Action
Today’s subcommittee hearing on U.S. preparedness and responses for the 2019-2020 flu season offers an important opportunity to examine and act on gaps and challenges exacerbating the public health threats of seasonal influenza outbreaks.
Superbug battle: Bacteria structure may be key to new antibiotics
Cornell researchers have uncovered the structure of a regulatory mechanism unique to bacteria, opening the door for designing new antibiotics targeted to pathogens.
The End of Antibiotics?
Less than a century after the discovery of antibiotics, the world is at risk of entering an era in which the life-saving drugs no longer work.
Poll reveals risky use of antibiotics by some older adults, and opportunities for providers to improve
Half of older Americans got help from the infection-fighting power of antibiotics in the past two years, a new poll finds, but a sizable minority didn’t follow the instructions on their pill bottle. And one in five say that in the past, they’ve engaged in a risky practice: taking leftover antibiotics without checking with a medical professional.
Bacterial Lifestyle Steers the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
How bacteria live – whether as independent cells or in a communal biofilm – determines the course of their evolution, with implications for drug-resistant infections.
Scientists Discover New Antibiotic in Tropical Forest
Scientists from Rutgers University and around the world have discovered an antibiotic produced by a soil bacterium from a Mexican tropical forest that may help lead to a “plant probiotic,” more robust plants and other antibiotics. Probiotics, which provide friendlier bacteria and health benefits for humans, can also be beneficial to plants, keeping them healthy and more robust. The new antibiotic, known as phazolicin, prevents harmful bacteria from getting into the root systems of bean plants, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Nature Communications.
AI System Accurately Detects Key Findings in Chest X-Rays of Pneumonia Patients Within 10 Seconds: Study Finds Promise of Faster Treatment
From 20 minutes or more to 10 seconds. Researchers from Intermountain Healthcare and Stanford University say 10 seconds is about how quickly a new system they studied that utilizes artificial intelligence took to accurately identify key findings in chest X-rays of patients in the emergency department suspected of having pneumonia.