antibiotics

Super-resistant soil bacteria can thrive on antibiotics

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:59 -0400

It turns out that hundreds of bacteria can actually 'eat' antibiotics, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School. The scientific team isolated bacteria in soil and fed them 18 different antibiotics, including penicillin and ciprofloxacin. And almost all of them started to grow after the exposure. These bacteria could be classified as super resistant.

On the plus side, none of the bacteria found in the soil are a direct threat to humans. On the negative side, human pathogens could at least theoretically acquire resistance to antibiotics through one of their soil-dwelling cousins.

- read the report in the New York Times

ALSO: Researchers in Louisiana say that proteins discovered in alligator blood may prove a potent weapon against serious infections such as MRSA. The team determines that alligators are designed to fight off infections they have never been previously exposed to. And a cream made from alligator blood may prove an effective topical treatment. Report

Related Articles:
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Dry antibiotic pipeline concerns infectious disease experts. Report

Key target found for new pneumonia vaccine

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:59:59 -0500

A protein may hold the key to a new vaccine that could effectively target pneumonia, according to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Jay K. Kolls, MD, chief of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Immunology at Children's, identified the importance of a protein known as interleukin 22 (IL-22) in the immune response to a strain of bacterial pneumonia. In the laboratory, the researchers were able to effectively treat mice with pneumonia by using purified IL-22.

"Currently there is no vaccine that covers all kinds of pneumonia and antibiotic treatment is sometimes limited by antibiotic resistance. As acute respiratory infections are the no. 1 killer of children in the world, progress in the development of novel vaccines or new, more effective treatments is critical," says Dr. Kolls. "Our results raise the possibility of developing new protein-based therapies using IL-22 to limit or prevent pneumonia."

- check out the release

Scientists in a race to create artificial life forms

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:59:59 -0500

Several teams of scientists have been working away at creating new life forms from artificial DNA. In Maryland, for example, one group has stitched together a chromosome and expects to transplant it into a cell next year, where it can direct the cell's activity. The swift advance toward creating new life forms in the lab has raised a host of questions around the pioneering companies likely to control the patents on the process as well as determining exactly what the possibilities are in a world where a scientist will be able to write a genetic program on their computer and then convert that into DNA. This is a far cry from the kind of minor genetic alterations that have become common in biotechnology. In this world, a genetic 'platform' can be used to create custom-designed DNA to create a host of new products.

- check out the report from the Washington Post

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Synthetic biology spawns fresh approach to antibiotics. Report

New 'superbug' approach relies on decoy DNA

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:59:59 -0500

A team of scientists in the UK have designed a genetic tool that can disable genes equipped with antibiotic resistance, an approach that could scuttle superbugs like MRSA. And the researchers at John Innes Center have created a spinoff company--Procarta Biosystems--to commercialize their discovery. The key to their work involved taking a stretch of DNA from bacterium that disrupts gene activity and adding it to an antibiotic. The U.S. market for combating antibiotic resistance amounts to $5 billion and is growing as lethal superbugs continue to spread.

"The DNA sequence acts as a decoy, disrupting gene expression and blocking resistance," said Michael McArthur, head of the research team. "We are putting genetic information directly into drugs."

- check out the report from the Financial Times

Related Articles:
Dry antibiotic pipeline concerns infectious disease experts. Report
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Study finds alarming spread of MRSA. Report
Superdrug given wider scope in Europe. Report

Vaccine offers approach to blocking infections

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:59:59 -0500

A novel vaccine developed at The Scripps Research Institute at La Jolla may offer a new way to block infections without sparking bacterial resistance--a process that gradually dilutes the effectiveness of antibiotics. Reporting in Chemistry and Biology, the team focused on blocking the communication link among bacteria--which is necessary to make them virulent. The team designed a molecule that spurs production of antibodies by the immune system.

"Bacteria basically sense they have enough of their buddies around to allow them to say, 'OK, we're in a favorable environment to start turning on certain genes,'" says team leader Professor Kim Janda, director of the Worm Institute for Research and Medicine at Scripps Research. But if you stop bacteria from communicating, they can't organize an assault on the body.

- read the release on the vaccine program

Related Articles:
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ALSO NOTED: Wilmut predicts common stem cell procedures; NGF a new biomarker for liver cancer; The debate over genetics;

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Renowned scientist Ian Wilmut predicts that the first stem cell therapies will become available in about a decade and quickly become as common as antibiotics. Report

A small subset of adult testes cells in mice have been coaxed into a variety of cell types for functional blood vessels, cardiac tissue and brain cells. The research work, accomplished by scientists with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, indicates that the process could be used to develop new therapies for males suffering from a variety of ailments, such as heart disease and Alzheimer's. Report

An investigator at the University of Connecticut Health Center is developing a new breed of mice that is designed not to reject embryonic stem cells with an eye to repairing damaged bones and tissue. Report

A state judge has blocked an effort by pro-life groups to stop a vote on a $450 million bond program to back stem cell research in New Jersey. Report

A German scientist who claims to have saved the life of a patient suffering from acute cardiogenic shock by transplanting adult stem cells to the diseased site is being accused by colleagues of making unscientific assertions at a time that German lawmakers are debating the country's stem cell law. Article

Two human studies in South Florida will test whether stem cells can repair damaged heart muscles. Report

Scientists have developed unique technology to grow stem cells and other tissue in the laboratory in conditions similar to the way they grow in the human body. The technology, developed and patented by scientists at Durham University and its spin-out company ReInnervate Limited, is a plastic scaffold which allows cells to be grown in a more realistic three-dimensional (3D) form compared to the traditional flat surface of a Petri dish. Release

Cancer Research

Nerve growth factor, or NGF, may prove an effective biomarker for liver cancer. Report

One chemical event involving the Yap protein may play a key role in cancer, researchers say. And if they're right, they may have identified an important new target for cancer drugs. Report

Chinese researchers have identified a liver cancer marker in blood that may help identify patients with early-stage liver cancer and predict how well they'll do after treatment. Report

Genetics

A study at the NIH has determined that mutations in the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) gene is responsible for Job's Syndrome, a rare and painful disorder. There have been 250 reported cases of this affliction. Report

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found nearly 350 genes related to female fertility. Their research may open the door to much wider study in the poorly understood field of infertility. Report

British researchers say that they believe that a gene involved in the growth of connective tissue plays a key role in scleroderma. Report

Scientists have documented the genetic sequence of the parasite Brugia malayi, creating multiple new drug targets. Report

A genetic region on chromosome 9 which includes two genes called complement component 5 (C5) and TNF receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1) are closely associated with rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Report

More Research

Four years after the mapping of the human genome, science is waking up to the fact that there's a lot to disease that can't be explained by genetics. Biological processes occur in areas of DNA with no genes, upending the traditional dogma regarding biology. Article

New insights into a protein known as SRP-6 may shed light on ways to fight cancer or prevent heart disease and other ailments. By depriving cells of the protein, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh believe they may have found a key mechanism in controlling necrosis. Report

Scientists at Rice University have made the first optical images of carbon nanotubes inside of a living organism. Report

An editorial in the San Diego Union-Tribune concludes that the NIH should receive more funding in order to sufficiently back biomedical research. Editorial

Scientists recognized by NIH

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:59:58 -0400

The NIH has recognized 12 leading scientists with its Pioneer Award. They include Emery N. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., who's studying anesthetics; Stanford's Thomas R. Clandinin, Ph.D., who is studying how the brain computes; and James J. Collins, Ph.D., Boston University professor of biomedical engineering, who will develop systems biology and synthetic biology approaches to analyze the bacterial gene regulatory networks underlying cellular responses to antibiotics. Release

Targets found for antibiotic development

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have new information on the structure of a key enzyme in bacteria that could lead to improved antibiotics and less antibiotic resistance. In findings published online in two complementary papers in Nature, the research team describes the differences in an enzyme called RNA polymerase in bacterial cells as opposed to human cells. These differences provide potential new targets for drug design.

"Knowing how RNA polymerase differs in human and bacterial cells means antibiotics can be designed with a greater probability that they will interact with and kill bacteria, while leaving healthy human cells alone," says Dmitry Vassylyev, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics and lead author of both papers.

- check out the release on antibiotics

UK scientists using bacteria to make cancer drugs

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 19:01:39 -0500

Researchers at the University of Warwick are examining a way of using bacteria to manufacture a new suite of potential anti-cancer drugs that are difficult to create synthetically on a lab bench. The bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor naturally produce antibiotics called prodiginines. This group of antibiotics has stimulated much recent interest as they can be used to target and kill cancer cells. A synthetic prodiginine analogue called GX15-070 is currently in phase I and II cancer treatment trials. However, analogues of other prodiginines, such as streptorubin B, could be even more powerful anti-cancer tools, but they cannot currently be easily synthetically produced on a lab bench.

- here's the release on the cancer research

ALSO NOTED: New sequencing project in cancer; Researchers increase potency of antibiotics; Nano-napkin to ID pathogens;

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:01:38 -0400

More Research

The NIH has begun a new project to sequence all the genetic changes that occur in brain, ovarian and lung cancer. Their work is intended to highlight new genes that will be the target of a new generation of cancer drugs. Report

By switching sugar molecules using a class of enzymes called glycosyltransferases, researchers at the University of Wisconsin discovered a new process that significantly heightens the impact of antibiotics and anti-tumor drugs. By "pirating" nature's sugars, they were able to create a variant of vancomycin and new versions of a cancer drug that eliminates tumor cells. And other researchers say the approach offers great promise in tackling MRSA and other drug-resistant infections. Article

Scientists at Cornell are developing a napkin that can be used to quickly detect pathogens. The napkin will be made of nanofibers containing antibodies to chemicals and biohazards and will change color on detection. Report

E. coli bacteria that have become resistant to standard therapies could be treated with cranberry juice, according to researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Cranberries contain a group of tannins that work as antibiotics, changing the shape of the bacteria from rods to spheres and altering cell membranes. The transformation prevents the bacteria from latching on to cells. Release

Researchers at Jefferson Medical College say that the protein GRK2 may be an effective biomarker for heart failure. Levels of GRK2 are higher in heart failure patients than in healthy ones, they found. The study was to be presented at the annual scientific meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America. Report

Researchers at the George Institute for International Health have concluded that a prescription for anti-inflammatory drugs following hip surgery could do more damage than good. Increased incidences of bleeding have to be considered alongside the prevention of ectopic bone formations. Report

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrated that AMD3100 can mobilize angiogenic cells from bone marrow of human patients in a matter of hours, spurring the formation of new blood vessels necessary for spreading oxygen and nutrients to tissue. Release

Resistance to some of the new, frontline therapies for non-small cell lung cancer can be created by tiny genetic mutations that can be detected with standard screening techniques, according to Dana Farber Cancer Research. Release

Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, an online journal that publishes methods used in a wide range of biology laboratories, has added over 40 new peer-reviewed protocols to its archive. The new collection highlights two techniques for characterizing protein interactions, which will aid many cell and molecular biologists--including those who seek to identify the molecular basis of human diseases. Release

An antimicrobial compound found in crustaceans could be used to fight hospital-based infections. Scientists at the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University say that chitosan protects against the buildup of biofilms. Report

Building on previous work, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that deleting an inflammation enzyme in a mouse model of heart disease slowed the development of atherosclerosis. What's more, the composition of the animals' blood vessels showed that the disease process had not only slowed, but also stabilized. This study points to the possibility of a new class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that work to reduce the risk of heart disease. Release

Vitamin D can significantly reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. Report

Researchers have determined the precise structure of a protein needed for the replication of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis, a potential bioterrorist weapon. Report

By changing which carbohydrates they attach to, viruses are able to infect cells more efficiently--a finding that may prove valuable to scientists seeking ways to fight cancer or brain diseases, say University of Florida researchers writing in the current Journal of Biological Chemistry. Release

For older adults, anemia's trademark loss of red blood cells has been linked to fatigue, muscle weakness and other physical problems. Now researchers at Johns Hopkins have found a relationship between anemia and impaired thinking, too. Release

Two genes, known as REG1A and EXTL3, are overexpressed in colorectal tumors of patients who are at high risk of recurrence, according to a new study from the Max Delbrueck Center in Berlin, Germany. Release

Researchers say they've discovered two proteins secreted by the placenta that may be entirely responsible for preeclampsia, a potentially lethal condition. Report

A team of researchers at Purdue University has found a protein in the blood that may prove to be more reliable than the standard prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in measuring the extent of prostate cancer. Release

Tools & Technology

Scientists at MIT have developed a "molecular sieve" that they say will speed up the accurate sorting of proteins, work essential in drug discovery. Using a microchip with a standard set of nanopores, the scientists can separate proteins by size and shape. Report

A team of researchers from Arizona State University and Motorola Labs has developed sensors based on carbon nanotubes, microscopically small structures that possess excellent electronic properties. In early tests, the new devices detected the presence of heavy metal ions in water down to parts per trillion levels. Release

Germany's Genomatix Software has announced plans to sell its products to the Chinese market through Beijing ZGZ Science and Technology Development. Release

Deals & Dollars

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has given a $1.1 million grant to a scientist at St. Louis University to research a family of neurodegenerative diseases. Report

Inscent has received a Small Business Innovative Research grant from the US National Science Foundation to continue the development of novel technologies and products based on insect chemosensory proteins. Release