Antibiotic News and Research

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

The case of a high school student in King County who died this week of meningococcal disease has created public concern

The case of a high school student in King County who was hospitalized and died this week of meningococcal disease – commonly called bacterial meningitis – has created some public concern about risks of exposure to the disease.

10 Jul 2004

New leads for the discovery of anthrax antitoxins that could be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat late-stage anthrax

A team of researchers led by The Burnham Institute’s Robert C. Liddington has determined the crystal structure of the binding complex between anthrax toxin and one of its host receptors.

8 Jul 2004

MRSA contamination can be reduced by using copper alloys for surfaces in healthcare facilities

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a virulent organism, essentially resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics (for example: penicillins, ampicillins, cephalosporins). It can cause skin, bone and life-threatening blood infections, as well as pneumonia.

7 Jul 2004

Research points to a possible way to design anthrax toxin molecules that selectively attack tumor cells

Scientists have determined a three-dimensional (3-D) molecular image of how anthrax toxin enters human cells, giving scientists more potential targets for blocking the toxin, the lethal part of anthrax bacteria.

5 Jul 2004

Severe sepsis causes around one in ten cancer deaths each year in the USA

Severe sepsis, is a costly complication in hospitalized cancer patients causing around one in ten cancer deaths each year in the USA, according to an article published today in Critical Care.

5 Jul 2004

Extension of vaccination programs against anthrax to include U.S. forces in the Pacific Commands including Korea

William Winkenwerder, Jr., MD, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs has announced the extension of the vaccination programs against anthrax to include U.S. forces in the Pacific Commands including Korea.

4 Jul 2004

Enzymes from king crab are an effective treatment for scalds, sores, and trophic ulcers

Chemist Galina Rudenskaya from the Moscow State University and her colleagues from small enterprise TRINITA have made an important discovery in medicine, thanks to funding extended by the RFBR and FASIE.

2 Jul 2004

Three-dimensional cryo-electron microscope may help guide the design of new antibiotics

Understanding the last step of protein synthesis – the basic process of translating DNA into its final protein product – just became more clear both literally and figuratively.

1 Jul 2004

Protein research may help develop new antibiotics

New findings about a protein that keeps cells alive by opening and closing pores within a cell's membrane may open the door to the development of new antibiotics.

30 Jun 2004

Human Tissue Bill is in need of further amendment

The Human Tissue Bill is in need of further amendment said the Medical Research Council (MRC) today (Monday 28 June 2004) as the Bill enters the Report Stage and has its third reading.

29 Jun 2004

Launch of the Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies

Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA announced the launch of the Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies at UCLA June 28.

29 Jun 2004

The EU is contributing €9 million to the “Vigilance against Viral Resistance” (VIRGIL) project

Viruses’ growing resistance to drugs means diseases such as hepatitis B and C are increasingly difficult to treat. New pandemics may arise with unforeseeable consequences.

29 Jun 2004

Antibiotic use early in life does not increase the subsequent risk of asthma

Previous research has indicated that infections in early life may offer protection from developing asthma. Therefore, it has been suggested that antibiotics increase the risk of asthma by reducing the protective effect of infections or by interfering with normal bacterial flora in the gut.

26 Jun 2004

MRSA "superbug" genome decoded

On 18 June 2004, the BBC reported fears that deaths from the 'superbug' MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) might double in the next five years.

25 Jun 2004

MRSA superbugs emerged independently in at least eight countries including the UK

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria that are increasingly resistant to vancomycin, the antibiotic of last resort in the war against superbugs, have emerged independently in at least eight countries including the UK

24 Jun 2004

Genes account for approximately 30 percent of longevity in humans

Current research indicates that genes account for approximately 30 percent of longevity in humans which means that healthy habits play a large role in determining lifespan but good genes do help and the question now is how

23 Jun 2004

Lingering outbreak of pertussis in four Chicago-area counties

Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, today urged parents to ensure their children have been properly immunized against this highly contagious disease and asked that persons exhibiting symptoms to immediately seek medical care.

20 Jun 2004

A natural molecule that blocks a key bacterial enzymes could lead to a new generation of antibiotics

Rutgers scientists have deciphered the complex mechanics of microcin J25 (MccJ25), a tiny, natural molecule that acts like a cork in a bottle to block a key bacterial enzyme – potentially leading to a new generation of antibiotics.

17 Jun 2004

Emergence of MRSA bacteria that are increasingly resistant to vancomycin

Researchers had previously thought that such bacteria were emerging from only one sort of the MRSA superbug, but the new study has shown that they have evolved in all major types.

17 Jun 2004

Soil-borne disease called allergic fungal sinusitis is on the rise

The bad news this summer is that a destructive, soil-borne disease called allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is on the rise -- at least according to the up tick in cases referred to specialist Steven Schaefer, MD, chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

16 Jun 2004

Antibiotic News and Research

Further Reading

The case of a high school student in King County who died this week of meningococcal disease has created public concern

New leads for the discovery of anthrax antitoxins that could be used in conjunction with antibiotics to treat late-stage anthrax

MRSA contamination can be reduced by using copper alloys for surfaces in healthcare facilities

Research points to a possible way to design anthrax toxin molecules that selectively attack tumor cells

Severe sepsis causes around one in ten cancer deaths each year in the USA

Extension of vaccination programs against anthrax to include U.S. forces in the Pacific Commands including Korea

Enzymes from king crab are an effective treatment for scalds, sores, and trophic ulcers

Three-dimensional cryo-electron microscope may help guide the design of new antibiotics

Protein research may help develop new antibiotics

Human Tissue Bill is in need of further amendment

Launch of the Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic Center for Primary Immunodeficiencies

The EU is contributing €9 million to the “Vigilance against Viral Resistance” (VIRGIL) project

Antibiotic use early in life does not increase the subsequent risk of asthma

MRSA "superbug" genome decoded

MRSA superbugs emerged independently in at least eight countries including the UK

Genes account for approximately 30 percent of longevity in humans

Lingering outbreak of pertussis in four Chicago-area counties

A natural molecule that blocks a key bacterial enzymes could lead to a new generation of antibiotics

Emergence of MRSA bacteria that are increasingly resistant to vancomycin

Soil-borne disease called allergic fungal sinusitis is on the rise

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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