News & Views |
Featured
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News |
Antibiotics funding splurge gets mixed reception
Multimillion dollar initiative prioritizes drug development over discovery of new molecules.
- Asher Mullard
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News & Views |
Antibiotics right under our nose
Bacteria that are normally resident in the body have many roles in supporting health. Researchers have now identified a bacterial resident of the nose that produces an antibiotic that is active against a pathogen. See Article p.511
- Kim Lewis
- & Philip Strandwitz
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News |
The nose knows how to kill MRSA
Bacteria from the human body produce an antibiotic that seems to kill resistant bacteria.
- Anna Nowogrodzki
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Article |
Human commensals producing a novel antibiotic impair pathogen colonization
The nasal commensal bacterium Staphylococcus lugdunensis produces a novel cyclic peptide antibiotic, lugdunin, that inhibits colonization by S. aureus in animal models and is associated with a significantly reduced S. aureus carriage rate in humans, suggesting that human commensal bacteria could be a valuable resource for the discovery of new antibiotics.
- Alexander Zipperer
- , Martin C. Konnerth
- & Bernhard Krismer
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News & Views |
The dark side of antibiotics
Interactions in the gut between host cells and bacteria can determine a state of health or disease. A study investigates how antibiotic treatment can affect host cells in a way that drives growth of pathogenic bacteria. See Letter p.697
- Thibault G. Sana
- & Denise M. Monack
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News Feature |
The man who can map the chemicals all over your body
Pieter Dorrestein uses mass spectrometry to eavesdrop on the molecular conversations between microbes and their world.
- Paul Tullis
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News |
Hundreds of antibiotics built from scratch
Chemists generate variations on erythromycin in ‘daring’ synthesis.
- Heidi Ledford
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Article |
A platform for the discovery of new macrolide antibiotics
A practical, fully synthetic route to macrolide antibiotics via the convergent assembly of simple chemical building blocks is described; more than 300 new macrolide antibiotic candidates have been synthesized using this approach, a number of which are active against bacterial strains that are resistant to currently used antibiotics.
- Ian B. Seiple
- , Ziyang Zhang
- & Andrew G. Myers
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Article |
Interconnected microbiomes and resistomes in low-income human habitats
An analysis of bacterial community structure and antibiotic resistance gene content of interconnected human faecal and environmental samples from two low-income communities in Latin America was carried out using a combination of functional metagenomics, 16S sequencing and shotgun sequencing; resistomes across habitats are generally structured along ecological gradients, but key resistance genes can cross these boundaries, and the authors assessed the usefulness of excreta management protocols in the prevention of resistance gene dissemination.
- Erica C. Pehrsson
- , Pablo Tsukayama
- & Gautam Dantas
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Letter |
Structural insights into inhibition of lipid I production in bacterial cell wall synthesis
The crystal structure of the MraY enzyme from Aquifex aeolicus in complex with the naturally occurring nucleoside inhibitor muraymycin D2 (MD2) reveals that MraY undergoes a large conformational rearrangement near the active site after the binding of MD2, leading to the generation of a nucleoside-binding pocket and a peptide-binding site.
- Ben C. Chung
- , Ellene H. Mashalidis
- & Seok-Yong Lee
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News |
Spread of antibiotic-resistance gene does not spell bacterial apocalypse — yet
A ‘last resort’ drug to which bacteria are rapidly developing resistance is not quite the end of the antibiotic line.
- Sara Reardon
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News & Views |
Homed to the hideout
Some Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are thought to survive standard antibiotic treatment by 'hiding' in host cells. But an antibody–antibiotic conjugate has been developed that targets these bacteria in mouse models. See Article p.323
- Wolf-Dietrich Hardt
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News |
‘Stealth bomb’ antibiotic vanquishes drug-resistant bacteria
Technique kills infections hiding away inside mouse cells.
- Erika Check Hayden
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Article |
Novel antibody–antibiotic conjugate eliminates intracellular S. aureus
Antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, such as MRSA, are proving increasingly difficult to treat; here, one reason for this is confirmed to be the fact that S. aureus bacteria can reside in intracellular reservoirs where they are protected from antibiotics, but a new strategy—based on an antibody–antibiotic conjugate—can specifically target these reservoirs.
- Sophie M. Lehar
- , Thomas Pillow
- & Sanjeev Mariathasan
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Letter |
Bacteriocin production augments niche competition by enterococci in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract
The authors develop a mouse model of Enterococcus faecalis colonization to show that enterococci harbouring the bacteriocin-expressing plasmid pPD1 replace indigenous enterococci and have the ability to transfer the plasmid to other enterococci, which enhances the stability of the bacteriocin-expressing bacteria in the gut; this result suggests a therapeutic approach that leverages niche-specificity to eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria from infected individuals.
- Sushma Kommineni
- , Daniel J. Bretl
- & Nita H. Salzman
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News |
Diagnostic developers target antibiotic resistance
Patient’s immune response would tell physicians whether to prescribe.
- Viviane Callier
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News & Views |
Antibiotic tricks a switch
A screen for compounds that block a bacterial biosynthetic pathway has uncovered an antibiotic lead that shuts off pathogen growth by targeting a molecular switch in a regulatory RNA structure. See Article p.672
- Thomas Hermann
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News |
Dramatic rise seen in antibiotic use
New report provides the most comprehensive picture yet of antibiotic use and resistance worldwide.
- Sara Reardon
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News |
Nanoparticles disguised as blood-cell fragments slip past body's immune defence
Drug-delivery systems coated in platelets used to repair damaged blood vessels.
- Elizabeth Gibney
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News |
Antibiotic alternatives rev up bacterial arms race
From predatory microbes to toxic metals, nature is inspiring new ways to treat infections.
- Sara Reardon
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News & Views |
Taking the bad with the good
Modelling of the interactions between antibiotic production and antibiotic degradation reveals that these opposing activities are key to maintaining diversity in microbial communities. See Letter p.516
- Carl T. Bergstrom
- & Benjamin Kerr
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Letter |
Counteraction of antibiotic production and degradation stabilizes microbial communities
Mathematical modelling and simulations reveal that including antibiotic degraders in ecological models of microbial species interaction allows the system to robustly move towards an intermixed stable state, more representative of real-world observations.
- Eric D. Kelsic
- , Jeffrey Zhao
- & Roy Kishony
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News |
Bacteria bonanza found in remote Amazon village
Genes for antibiotic resistance among those found in most-diverse human microbiome.
- Boer Deng
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Article |
A new antibiotic kills pathogens without detectable resistance
From a new species of β-proteobacteria, an antibiotic called teixobactin that does not generate resistance has been characterized; the antibiotic has two different lipid targets in different bacterial cell wall synthesis components, which may explain why resistance was not observed.
- Losee L. Ling
- , Tanja Schneider
- & Kim Lewis
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Article |
Reversion of advanced Ebola virus disease in nonhuman primates with ZMapp
A new treatment, containing an optimized cocktail of three monoclonal antibodies against Ebola virus, provided full protection and disease reversal in rhesus monkeys when given under conditions in which controls succumbed by day 8; this new therapy may be a good candidate for treating Ebola virus infection in human patients.
- Xiangguo Qiu
- , Gary Wong
- & Gary P. Kobinger
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Letter |
Bacterial phylogeny structures soil resistomes across habitats
Functional metagenomic selections for resistance to 18 antibiotics in 18 different soils reveal that bacterial community composition is the primary determinant of soil antibiotic resistance gene content.
- Kevin J. Forsberg
- , Sanket Patel
- & Gautam Dantas
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Outlook |
Antibiotic resistance: An infectious arms race
Winning the fight against infectious bacteria requires staying ahead of the organisms' uncanny ability to flank our frontal assaults. By Karyn Hede.
- Karyn Hede
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Outlook |
Perspective: The age of the phage
It's time to use viruses that kill bacteria again, say Shigenobu Matsuzaki, Jumpei Uchiyama, Iyo Takemura-Uchiyama and Masanori Daibata.
- Shigenobu Matsuzaki
- , Jumpei Uchiyama
- & Masanori Daibata
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Outlook |
Perspective: Synthetic biology revives antibiotics
Re-engineering natural products provides a new route to drug discovery, says Gerard Wright.
- Gerard Wright
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Outlook |
Diagnostics: Detection drives defence
Devices that quickly identify bacterial infections would benefit health and slow the spread of resistance.
- Rebecca Kanthor
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Outlook |
Drug development: Time for teamwork
In the face of more drug-resistant bugs and fewer new drugs, partnerships promise a resurgence of antibiotics.
- Mike May
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Outlook |
Public health: The politics of antibiotics
Policy-makers and medical experts need to think globally if we are to prevent an antibiotic 'tragedy of the commons'.
- Megan Cully
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Outlook |
Microbiology: Resistance fighters
Science goes back to nature to decipher and disrupt the mechanisms by which germs evade antibiotics.
- Bill Cannon
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Outlook |
Drug discovery: Leaving no stone unturned
New antibiotic treatments could be found by combining novel and existing drugs, in drug-free nanoparticles, or at the bottom of the sea.
- Katharine Gammon
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Article |
Activated ClpP kills persisters and eradicates a chronic biofilm infection
Dormant bacterial persister cells evade antibiotic destruction and their survival gives rise to some chronic infections; this study reveals that persister cells can be eradicated with a compound activating the bacterial protease ClpP, providing an effective biofilm treatment in vitro and in mouse chronic infection models.
- B. P. Conlon
- , E. S. Nakayasu
- & K. Lewis
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Outlook |
Drug development: A combined effort
Combinations of anti-TB drugs are difficult to overcome because they attack Mycobacterium tuberculosis in different ways.
- Amy Maxmen
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Outlook |
Perspective: Graduation time
Universities should forego profits from tuberculosis, say David G. Russell and Carl F. Nathan.
- David G. Russell
- & Carl F. Nathan
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Research Highlights |
Rivers' antibiotic resistance threat
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News |
DNA sequencers stymie superbug spread
Whole-genome analysis helps identify source of MRSA outbreak on infant ward
- Ewen Callaway
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News |
Antibiotic resistance racing downriver
A river that runs through Colorado's plains carries two different genes that protect microbes from antibiotics.
- Naomi Lubick
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News & Views |
Antibiotics and adiposity
Mice receiving low doses of certain antibiotics gain weight and accumulate fat. This could be because some gut bacteria survive the treatment better than others, shifting digestion towards greater energy provision. See Article p.621
- Harry J. Flint
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Article |
Antibiotics in early life alter the murine colonic microbiome and adiposity
Treatment of young mice with low levels of antibiotics results in increases in adiposity and causes both a change in the composition of the intestinal microbial community and an alteration in the activity of microbial metabolic pathways, leading to increased short-chain fatty acid production.
- Ilseung Cho
- , Shingo Yamanishi
- & Martin J. Blaser
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Letter |
Reduced airway surface pH impairs bacterial killing in the porcine cystic fibrosis lung
In a porcine cystic fibrosis model, lack of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is shown to result in acidification of airway surface liquid (ASL), and this decrease in pH reduces the ability of ASL to kill bacteria; the findings directly link loss of the CFTR anion channel to impaired defence against bacterial infection.
- Alejandro A. Pezzulo
- , Xiao Xiao Tang
- & Joseph Zabner
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Comment |
Get pigs off antibiotics
Frank Aarestrup explains how he helped Denmark to cut the use of antibiotics in its livestock by 60%, and calls on the rest of the world to follow suit.
- Frank Aarestrup
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Comment |
Recover the lost art of drug discovery
Bacterial evolution is overwhelming our antibiotic defences, says Kim Lewis. Using modern technology to replicate past success might tip the balance in our favour.
- Kim Lewis