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Topic Review
Biofilm Formation Based on Studies with Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Studies with the bacterium P. aeruginosa provide important information about the attachment process. One important consideration is how bacteria sense a surface. In P. aeruginosa, there are two distinct surface sensing mechanisms. The first one involves a WSP chemosensory system. In response to the surface contact, the WSP system stimulates the production of cyclic diguanylate. The initial event is uncertain; it probably involves distortion of the cell membrane, which then activates membrane proteins. A second surface sensing mechanism involves type 4 pili. Upon contact with the surface, the methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein Pil J transduces a signal to the protein CyaB, stimulating its activity. 
  • 633
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Intranasal Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine
Although influenza is a major public health concern, little is known about the use of spray live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) among adults. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of LAIV, especially in adults with/without clinical conditions and children <2 years, with the final aim of possibly extending the clinical indications. PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were the two databases consulted through February 2021. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. A critical appraisal was conducted. Analyses were performed by using ProMeta3 software. Twenty-two studies were included, showing that LAIV was associated with a higher probability of seroconversion when compared with a placebo and considering the A/H1N1 serotype (pooled OR = 2.26 (95% CI = 1.12–4.54), p-value = 0.022; based on 488 participants, without heterogeneity (I2 = 0.0%)). The meta-analysis also confirmed no significant association with systemic adverse events. Only rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and sore throat were significantly associated with LAIV compared to the placebo. Despite the limited available evidence, LAIV has proved to be a safe and effective flu vaccination, also due to its very low invasiveness, and our review’s results can be considered a starting point for guiding future research and shaping forthcoming vaccination campaigns. 
  • 631
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Antiviral Agents against Flavivirus Protease
Flaviviruses cause a significant amount of mortality and morbidity, especially in regions where they are endemic. A recent example is the outbreak of Zika virus throughout the world. Development of antiviral drugs against different viral targets is as important as the development of vaccines. During viral replication, a single polyprotein precursor (PP) is produced and further cleaved into individual proteins by a viral NS2B-NS3 protease complex together with host proteases.
  • 630
  • 11 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Importance and Reality of TDM for Antibiotics
Under the Japanese health insurance system, medicines undergoing therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) can be billed for medical fees if they meet the specified requirements. In Japan, TDM of vancomycin, teicoplanin, aminoglycosides, and voriconazole, which are used for the treatment of infectious diseases, is common practice. This means the levels of antibiotics are measured in-house using chromatography or other methods. In some facilities, the blood and/or tissue concentrations of other non-TDM drugs are measured by HPLC and are applied to treatment, which is necessary for personalized medicine.
  • 630
  • 07 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Antioxidant Effects of Lycopene
Malaria is a disease that affects thousands of people around the world every year. Its pathogenesis is associated with the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and lower levels of micronutrients and antioxidants. Patients under drug treatment have high levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in the body tissues, which limits the use of these drugs. Therefore, several studies have suggested that RONS inhibition may represent an adjuvant therapeutic strategy in the treatment of these patients by increasing the antioxidant capacity of the host. In this sense, supplementation with antioxidant compounds such as zinc, selenium, and vitamins A, C, and E has been suggested as part of the treatment. Among dietary antioxidants, lycopene is the most powerful antioxidant among the main carotenoids. 
  • 628
  • 09 Jan 2023
Topic Review
SOFA Score
In 2016, the SOFA score was proposed as the main evaluation system for diagnosis in the definition of sepsis 3.0, and the SOFA score has become a new research focus in sepsis. Some people are skeptical about diagnosing sepsis using the SOFA score. Experts and scholars from different regions have proposed different, modified versions of SOFA score to make up for the related problems with the use of the SOFA score in the diagnosis of sepsis. 
  • 627
  • 30 May 2023
Topic Review
Sinks and Bacterial Healthcare-Associated Infections in ICU
Sink drains in hospitals have long been known to harbor an abundant microbiota comprising up to 103–105 CFU/mL Gram-negative rods, especially waterborne bacteria. intensive care unit (ICU) sink/sink drains can be contaminated by MDR bacteria originating from patients. These reservoirs can in turn be a source of contamination of other ICU patients. Studies have used molecular biology techniques to ascertain whether bacterial clones causing such heathcare-associated infections can indeed come from contaminated sinks.
  • 626
  • 15 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Nucleic Acid Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide and imposed a substantial burden on human health, the environment, and socioeconomic development, which has also accelerated the process of nucleic acid vaccine development and licensure. Nucleic acid vaccines are viral genetic sequence-based vaccines and third-generation vaccines after whole virus vaccines and recombinant subunit vaccines, including DNA vaccines and RNA vaccines.
  • 626
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Minimal Inhibitory Concentration and Its Microbiological Indications
Before targeting an optimal antibiotic therapy, an empirical treatment is administered, and the previous collection of a microbiological sample helps choose the most effective treatment. Among the microbiological results, antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is currently based on testing the ability of an antibiotic to inhibit bacterial growth in vitro under standardized experimental conditions. For most infections, classic AST e.g., critical diameter measurement, is sufficient. However, for some antibiotics and/or for some bacterial infections, the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value is required. The methods that can be used, their relevance, and their microbiological indications are detailed below. 
  • 626
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Natural Products against Coronaviruses
The SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the Coronaviridae family and the Coronavirinae subfamily which has been divided into four genera: α-coronavirus, β-coronavirus, γ-coronavirus and δ-coronavirus. The Human Coronavirus species HCoV (OC43, 229E, NL63 and HKU1), as well as those associated with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and SARS-CoV-2, can cause respiratory tract infection but others such as the species 229E, OC43, HKU1, and NL63 usually cause the common cold.
  • 625
  • 05 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Polymyxin/Non-Antibiotic Combinations
The polymyxin/non-antibiotic combinations covered function synergistically by augmenting penetrative damage against the outer membrane causing bacterial lysis. Alternatively, the outer membrane may be permeabilized sufficiently (either by the polymyxin or the adjuvant) for the combination to access the inner membrane, leading to either perforation of the inner membrane (and lysis) or diffusion across the membrane, substantially disrupting vital metabolic pathways (i.e., respiration, DNA replication, cell envelope maintenance) and/or repressing plasmid-mediated polymyxin resistance.
  • 625
  • 09 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Candidiasis
Candida spp. can be found colonizing the skin, oral mucosa, and/or the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts in healthy individuals. Most cases of subsequent disease usually emerge from this endogenous microbiota. Although there are now more than 200 species of Candida identified, only a relatively small and yet not clearly defined number (~10–20) have been reported in the context of disease in children and adults. Historically, C. albicans has been, by far, the most commonly isolated species, although the rates of non-albicans species have variably increased globally, probably due to modifications in prophylactic approaches as well as changes in the characteristics of the most vulnerable patient populations, such as preterm neonates and immunosuppressed children. Overall, Candida infections in children can be divided into two main disease presentations: chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, which can manifest as oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC, also known as “thrush”), esophagitis, diaper dermatitis, onychomycosis, and/or vulvovaginitis, and invasive candidiasis (IC).
  • 625
  • 02 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Imported Malaria
Malaria is the most common vector-borne parasitic infection causing significant human morbidity and mortality in nearly 90 tropical/sub-tropical countries worldwide. Significant differences exist in the incidence of malaria cases, dominant Plasmodium species, drug-resistant strains and mortality rates in different countries. Six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, UAE) in the Middle East region with similar climates, population demographics and economic prosperity are aiming to achieve malaria elimination. In this narrative review, all studies indexed in PubMed describing epidemiological characteristics of indigenous and imported malaria cases, vector control status and how malaria infections can be controlled to achieve malaria elimination in GCC countries were reviewed and discussed. 
  • 623
  • 05 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Camel Milk
Camel milk (CM) constitutes an important dietary source in the hot and arid regions of the world. CM is a colloidal mixture of nutritional components (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals) and non-nutritional components (hormones, growth factors, cytokines, immunoglobulins, and exosomes). 
  • 622
  • 14 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Nano/Microrobots in Action for Gastrointestinal Tract Diseases
Nano/microrobots (NMRs) are tiny devices that can convert energy into motion and operate at nano/microscales.54 Especially in biomedical research, NMRs have received much attention over the past twenty years because of their excellent capabilities and great potential in various applications, including on-demand drug delivery, gene and cell transport, and precise microsurgery. Reports published in recent years show that synthetic nano/microrobots have promising potential to function in the gastrointestinal (GI) region, particularly in terms of drug delivery.
  • 622
  • 20 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Types of COVID-19 Vaccines
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly contagious virus that emerged at the end of 2019 and has caused an upper respiratory disease pandemic, currently known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccine clinical studies are developing promptly with the aim of obtaining vaccines that are effective in suppressing the spread of the virus; however, the development of viral mutations raises concerns about the decreasing effectiveness of the resulting vaccine, which also results in the need for more in-depth studies. There have been 330 vaccines developed, including 136 clinical developments and 194 pre-clinical developments. 
  • 621
  • 12 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Applications of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials as Antimicrobials
Antimicrobial activities of various carbon-based nanomaterials against specific pathogens have become one of the most significant research interests in this field. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising multidisciplinary nanostructures in biomedicine, drug delivery, genetic engineering, biosensors, and artificial implants. However, the biomedical administration of CNTs is dependent on their solubility, toxicity, and biocompatibility, as well as novel drug-delivery applications through optimization of the drug’s loading capacity, cellular absorption, and continuous release within the target cell. The usage of CNTs and Graphene materials as antimicrobial agents and nanocarriers for antibiotics delivery would possibly improve their bioavailability and facilitate better anti-infective therapy.
  • 621
  • 23 Dec 2022
Topic Review
A Defective Viral Particle Approach to COVID-19
Defective interfering particles, which arise naturally and interfere with viruses, have long inspired the idea that they might be adapted to treat viral diseases. Here, we explore how such defective interfering particles and other therapeutic nanoparticles might be designed and constructed to interfere with SARS-CoV-2.
  • 619
  • 28 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Virion Structure of SARS-CoV-2 and Viral Inflammation
COVID-19 is an epidemic infection created by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2). SARS-CoV-2 has a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome with 29,891 nucleotides and 38% G + C content, encoding 9860 amino acids. Human coronaviral inflammation induces the clinical symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
  • 615
  • 25 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Vaccines against Antibiotic Resistance
Despite the great efforts made by researchers and companies to develop new antimicrobial drugs, only a few molecules have been recognized so far as effective antibiotic candidates. In fact, the number of new antimicrobials developed later than the 90s has progressively diminished, and many of them correspond to slight modifications of existing drugs. Apart from the difficulties in developing new effective antimicrobials, the worrying scenario of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) recalls the urgent need of new strategies to fight the bacterial infections. Among the others, vaccination is a winning solution to the problem of the  AMR, at least in the context of some of the most common pathogenic bacteria.
  • 614
  • 14 Feb 2023
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