Research Highlights |
Featured
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Research Highlights |
How gut flora can turn deadly
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Letter |
Infection regulates pro-resolving mediators that lower antibiotic requirements
Resolvins and protectins are anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediators that are shown to resolve infections, and their administration lowers required doses of antibiotics and shortens infections.
- Nan Chiang
- , Gabrielle Fredman
- & Charles N. Serhan
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News |
Genome analysis homes in on malaria-drug resistance
Researchers find genetic changes that may reduce effectiveness of artemisinin.
- Melissa Lee Phillips
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News & Views |
Favouring the unfavoured
The naturally occurring antibiotic lasalocid A contains a chemical structure that is not expected to form readily. The enzyme that catalyses the formation of this structure has been identified, and its activity is a revelation. See Letter p.355
- David E. Cane
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Research Highlights |
Unintended antimicrobial effects
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Letter |
High-throughput decoding of antitrypanosomal drug efficacy and resistance
Five current human African trypanosomiasis drugs are used for genome-scale RNA interference target sequencing screens in Trypanosoma brucei, and reveal the transporters, organelles, enzymes and metabolic pathways that function to facilitate antitrypanosomal drug action.
- Sam Alsford
- , Sabine Eckert
- & David Horn
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News |
Totally drug-resistant TB emerges in India
Discovery of a deadly form of TB highlights crisis of 'mismanagement'.
- Katherine Rowland
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News |
Rules tighten on use of antibiotics on farms
Clampdown aims to stop spread of drug-resistant microbes.
- Natasha Gilbert
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Outlook |
Modernization: One step at a time
The repertoire of traditional Chinese medicine could offer rich pickings for modern drug developers, but researchers must first define and test herbal concoctions.
- Zhiguo Xu
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Outlook |
Drugs: Lines of defence
Antiviral treatments are a critical component of an effective healthcare response to influenza, but drug resistance to the treatment-of-choice has public health officials searching for other options.
- Roxanne Palmer
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News |
Dynamic duo helps to heal irradiated mice
Protein and antibiotic treatment works even 24 hours after exposure.
- Lucas Laursen
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News |
Antibiotic resistance marching across Europe
Multimillion-euro research initiative set up to address the problem.
- Natasha Gilbert
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Comment |
Stop the killing of beneficial bacteria
Concerns about antibiotics focus on bacterial resistance — but permanent changes to our protective flora could have more serious consequences, says Martin Blaser.
- Martin Blaser
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Article |
Type VI secretion delivers bacteriolytic effectors to target cells
- Alistair B. Russell
- , Rachel D. Hood
- & Joseph D. Mougous
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News |
Phage on the rampage
Antibiotic use may have driven the development of Europe's deadly E. coli.
- Marian Turner
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Outlook |
Perspective: Recognizing resistance
The hepatitis C virus is endemic among injection drug users, who could harbour treatment-resistant viruses. We need to adapt to this reality, says Diana Sylvestre
- Diana Sylvestre
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Research Highlights |
Gene for malarial drug dodging
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Letter |
Metabolite-enabled eradication of bacterial persisters by aminoglycosides
- Kyle R. Allison
- , Mark P. Brynildsen
- & James J. Collins
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Research Highlights |
Antibiotics aided by other drugs
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News |
New drugs for hepatitis C on the horizon
With the promise of two new drugs, doctors see hope for a better-tailored cocktail.
- Katherine Harmon
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Letter |
Reduction of disulphide bonds unmasks potent antimicrobial activity of human β-defensin 1
This paper shows that the activity of human beta-defensin 1 is regulated by its redox status, with enhanced antibiotic killing activity under reducing conditions as they are found in the distal colon. This is believed to serve to protect the healthy intestinal epithelium against potentially harmful colonization by commensal bacteria and opportunistic fungi. In vitro evidence implicates thioredoxin as the likely reducing agent.
- Bjoern O. Schroeder
- , Zhihong Wu
- & Jan Wehkamp
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News |
Disaster doctors may be using the wrong drugs
Study of Haiti earthquake victims shows most wounds infected with Gram-negative, not Gram-positive, bacteria.
- Daniel Cressey
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Research Highlights |
Materials science: Antiseptic silver slivers
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News |
Scientists push for Lyme disease trials
Confusion over correct treatment for persistent symptoms clouds conference.
- Amy Maxmen
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Research Highlights |
Evolutionary biology: Colourful bacterial resistance
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Article |
Type IIA topoisomerase inhibition by a new class of antibacterial agents
Enzymes that move along DNA, such as DNA and RNA polymerases, cause the DNA ahead of them to become supercoiled. This would lead to the DNA becoming overwound, were the stress not relieved by topoisomerases. Topoisomerase inhibitors have been used as antibacterial and anticancer drugs, but the structural basis for their activity has been unclear. Here, the crystal structures are presented of a topoisomerase on DNA, either alone or in the presence of a new type of antibiotic.
- Benjamin D. Bax
- , Pan F. Chan
- & Michael N. Gwynn
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Outlook |
The outlook for a cure
There is a formidable arsenal of drugs available to treat HIV. Virginia Hughes finds that, for the first time in years, there is also renewed hope of a cure.
- Virginia Hughes
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Research Highlights |
Virology: Back-up resistance
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News Feature |
Ecology: Emergency medicine for frogs
With chytrid fungus rapidly spreading around the world, researchers are testing an extreme approach to saving endangered amphibian populations. Naomi Lubick reports from a rescue site.
- Naomi Lubick
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Article |
Chemical genetics of Plasmodium falciparum
Here, a library of more than 300,000 chemicals was screened for activity against Plasmodium falciparum growing in red blood cells. Of these chemicals, 172 representative candidates were profiled in detail; one exemplar compound showed efficacy in a mouse model of malaria. The findings provide the scientific community with new starting points for drug discovery.
- W. Armand Guiguemde
- , Anang A. Shelat
- & R. Kiplin Guy
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Article |
Thousands of chemical starting points for antimalarial lead identification
Here, nearly 2 million compounds from GlaxoSmithKline's chemical library were screened for inhibitors of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, grown in red blood cells. Of these compounds, some 13,500 inhibited parasite growth, and more than 8,000 also showed potent activity against a multidrug resistant strain. The targets of these compounds were inferred through bioinformatic analysis, revealing several new mechanisms of antimalarial action.
- Francisco-Javier Gamo
- , Laura M. Sanz
- & Jose F. Garcia-Bustos
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News & Views |
Priming the antimalarial pipeline
Emerging resistance to existing antimalarial drugs could nullify efforts to eliminate this deadly disease. The discovery of thousands of agents active against malaria parasites offers hope for developing new drugs.
- David A. Fidock
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Correspondence |
Public database for HIV drug resistance in southern Africa
- Tulio de Oliveira
- , Robert W. Shafer
- & Christopher Seebregts
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News & Views |
Fat-free proteins kill parasites
The addition of a fatty acid to certain proteins is vital for the survival of protozoa that cause sleeping sickness and of their mammalian hosts. Compounds that target this process in the protozoa are now reported.
- George A. M. Cross
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Research Highlights |
Imaging: A view to a kill
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News |
Soil bacteria could yield drug to treat roundworm
The natural insecticide Bt treats infections in mice.
- Janet Fang
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Research Highlights |
Immunology: Double punch for HIV