Antibiotic News and Research

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Antibiotics are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms.

Common antibiotics can promote C. diff infections by killing off bile acid-altering microbes

New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Michigan finds that bile acids which are altered by bacteria normally living in the large intestine inhibit the growth of Clostridium difficile, or C. diff. C. diff is a harmful bacterium that can cause painful and sometimes fatal infections.

7 Jan 2016

Study shows clear role of bacteria in modulating immune function in the lungs

Microbiota--the trillions of bacteria that co-exist in the body--regulate the ability of lung dendritic cells to generate immune responses, according to a study led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

6 Jan 2016

Drug-microbe interactions may contribute to adverse effects, lessen effectiveness of NSAID

A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) changed the composition and diversity of gut microbes, which in turn shaped how the drug is broken down and ultimately, cut its effectiveness, according to an animal study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

5 Jan 2016

New perioperative guideline released for optimal management of geriatric patients

Responding to the needs of the country's growing older adult population, a new collaborative best practices guideline was released today for optimal care of older adults immediately before, during, and after surgical operations (a timeframe known as the "perioperative" period).

5 Jan 2016

Antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended for dental patients

When the majority of patients go in for their dental visits there is not much of a risk for bacterial infection. But for a small number of people, the use of antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended by your dentist.

30 Dec 2015

Newly discovered molecular mechanism may provide alternative explanation for antibiotic resistance

The bacterium B. cereus had so far been considered to be exclusively endospore-forming. In response to harsh conditions, the bacteria form protective endospores enabling them to remain dormant for extended periods. When conditions are more favourable, the endospores reactivate to become fully functioning bacteria.

28 Dec 2015

Environmental contaminants contributing to increase in bacterial resistance

While the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has prompted the medical community, non-profit organizations, public health officials and the national media to educate the public to the dangers of misusing and overusing antibiotics, the University of Georgia's J. Vaun McArthur is concerned that there's more to the problem than the misuse of common medications.

24 Dec 2015

Drugs approved for various conditions also have antibiotic properties

A number of drugs already approved to treat parasitic infections, cancers, infertility and other conditions also show promise as antibiotic agents against staph and tuberculosis infections, according to a new study by University of Illinois chemists and collaborators. Because these agents act against multiple targets within the bacteria, it may be harder for bacteria to develop resistance.

23 Dec 2015

Inorganic mercury can damage key cell processes, finds UGA study

University of Georgia research has found that inorganic mercury, which was previously thought to be a less harmful form of the toxic metal, is very damaging to key cell processes.

22 Dec 2015

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Scientists have developed an easy-to-use computer program that can quickly analyse bacterial DNA from a patient's infection and predict which antibiotics will work, and which will fail due to drug resistance. The software is currently being trialled in three UK hospitals to see whether it could help speed up diagnosis of drug-resistant infections and enable doctors to better target the prescription of antibiotics.

21 Dec 2015

Australian researchers develop new technique to combat chronic bacterial infections in hospitals

One of the scourges of infections in hospitals – biofilms formed by bacteria that stick to each other on living tissue and medical instruments, making them harder to remove – can be tricked into dispersing with the targeted application of nanoparticles and heat, researchers have found.

21 Dec 2015

Study examines effect of nonoperative treatment for appendicitis

It is too early to change the standard treatment of appendicitis in U.S. adults to initial antibiotic therapy only, rather than surgical removal of the appendix, or appendectomy, authors of a new systematic review study conclude.

18 Dec 2015

Five research centres get £10 million to explore how maths, statistics can help tackle serious health challenges

Life Sciences Minister George Freeman today (16 December) announced £10 million investment in five new research centres around the UK that will explore how mathematics and statistics can help clinicians to tackle serious health challenges such as cancer, heart disease and antibiotic resistant bacteria.

17 Dec 2015

Soligenix reports positive results from SGX942 Phase 2 trial in patients with head and neck cancer

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need, announced today positive results in its Phase 2 clinical trial, in which SGX942, a first-in-class Innate Defense Regulator (IDR), at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg, successfully reduced the median duration of severe oral mucositis by 50% in all patients and by 67% in patients receiving the most aggressive chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for treatment of their head and neck cancer.

16 Dec 2015

Patients can be trained to safely self-administer long-term IV antibiotics, say UT Southwestern physicians

Uninsured patients can be trained to safely and efficiently self-administer long-term intravenous antibiotics, UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians have found, a result that may have profound implications for patient treatment at public hospitals across the country.

16 Dec 2015

Heloise Anne Pereira named 2016 National Academy of Inventors Fellow

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Professor Heloise Anne Pereira has been named a 2016 National Academy of Inventors Fellow, a high professional distinction awarded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

16 Dec 2015

TaiGen releases Taigexyn (nemonoxacin) capsules in Taiwan

TaiGen Biotechnology Company, Limited today announced that together with its distribution partner, Holding Distribution, it has launched Taigexyn (nemonoxacin) capsules in Taiwan, the first market where Taigexyn is available.

16 Dec 2015

Antibiotic resistance may help find drugs to combat amyloid formation

Amyloid diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and type-2 diabetes pose a particular problem for drug designers because they do not present a clear target structure to aim at.

15 Dec 2015

U.S. has sufficient capacity for treating Ebola outbreak but financial, resource challenges remain as hurdle

The United States has sufficient capacity for treating another outbreak of the Ebola virus, but financial, staffing and resource challenges remain a hurdle for many hospitals and health systems attempting to maintain dedicated treatment centers for highly infectious diseases, according to new study released today.

12 Dec 2015

UC San Diego biologists develop a method to screen natural products for new antibiotics

Biologists at UC San Diego have found that a method they developed to identify and characterize new antibiotics can be employed to screen natural products quickly for compounds capable of controlling antibiotic resistant bacteria.

11 Dec 2015

Antibiotic News and Research

Further Reading

Common antibiotics can promote C. diff infections by killing off bile acid-altering microbes

Study shows clear role of bacteria in modulating immune function in the lungs

Drug-microbe interactions may contribute to adverse effects, lessen effectiveness of NSAID

New perioperative guideline released for optimal management of geriatric patients

Antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended for dental patients

Newly discovered molecular mechanism may provide alternative explanation for antibiotic resistance

Environmental contaminants contributing to increase in bacterial resistance

Drugs approved for various conditions also have antibiotic properties

Inorganic mercury can damage key cell processes, finds UGA study

New easy-to-use computer program can quickly identify drug-resistant infections

Australian researchers develop new technique to combat chronic bacterial infections in hospitals

Study examines effect of nonoperative treatment for appendicitis

Five research centres get £10 million to explore how maths, statistics can help tackle serious health challenges

Soligenix reports positive results from SGX942 Phase 2 trial in patients with head and neck cancer

Patients can be trained to safely self-administer long-term IV antibiotics, say UT Southwestern physicians

Heloise Anne Pereira named 2016 National Academy of Inventors Fellow

TaiGen releases Taigexyn (nemonoxacin) capsules in Taiwan

Antibiotic resistance may help find drugs to combat amyloid formation

U.S. has sufficient capacity for treating Ebola outbreak but financial, resource challenges remain as hurdle

UC San Diego biologists develop a method to screen natural products for new antibiotics

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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