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Topic Review
Superoxide Dismutases
Several enzymes exist that can convert or degrade reactive oxygen species (ROS); among them are the superoxide dismutases (SODs). SODs are responsible for converting superoxide anions to hydrogen peroxide by dismutation, therefore participating in the ROS detoxification. Here a short overview on the role of SODs in development and pathogenicity of fungi like Podospora anserina and Aspergillus spp. is given. 
  • 864
  • 06 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Propolis on Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are a significant problem affecting the public health and economic sta‐ bility of societies all over the world. Treatment is available for most of these diseases; however, many pathogens have developed resistance to drugs, necessitating the development of new thera‐ pies with chemical agents, which can have serious side effects and high toxicity. In addition, the severity and aggressiveness of emerging and re‐emerging diseases, such as pandemics caused by viral agents, have led to the priority of investigating new therapies to complement the treatment of different infectious diseases. Alternative and complementary medicine is widely used throughout the world due to its low cost and easy access and has been shown to provide a wide repertoire of options for the treatment of various conditions. In this work, we address the relevance of the effects of propolis on the causal pathogens of the main infectious diseases with medical relevance; the ex‐ isting compiled information shows that propolis has effects on Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, fungi, protozoan parasites and helminths, and viruses; however, challenges remain, such as the assessment of their effects in clinical studies for adequate and safe use.
  • 863
  • 08 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Phyto-Beneficial Traits of Rhizosphere Bacteria
Beneficial interactions between plants and some bacterial species have been long recognized, as they proved to exert various growth-promoting and health-protective activities on economically relevant crops. As well, rhizosphere bacteria direct activity against some phytopathogenic fungal species (such as Aspergillus and Fusarium spp.) have been also observed, resulting highly interesting since these pathogens cause major yield losses in cereal crops and are well-known mycotoxin producers.
  • 863
  • 20 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), also known as rabbit calicivirus disease (RCD) or viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD), is a highly infectious and often fatal disease that affects wild and domestic rabbits of the species Oryctolagus cuniculus. The infectious agent responsible for the disease is rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), or rabbit calicivirus (RCV), genus Lagovirus of the family Caliciviridae. The virus infects only rabbits, and has been used in some countries to control rabbit populations.
  • 861
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Varicella-Zoster Virus Prevalence among Pregnant Women
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human-specific α-herpes virus responsible for chickenpox and herpes zoster. VZV is a virus with a lipid-rich envelope acquired from cellular membranes, where viral glycoproteins are inserted. Inside the envelope, a tegument layer formed by regulatory proteins surrounds an icosahedral nucleocapsid core containing the linear double-stranded DNA genome.
  • 861
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota and Immunotherapy
Gut microbiota can have opposing functions from pro-tumorigenic to anti-tumorigenic effects. Increasing preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that the intestinal microbiota affects cancer patients’ response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) immunotherapy, such as anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). Microbiota-induced inflammation possibly contributes to tumor growth and cancer development. Microbiota-derived metabolites can also be converted to carcinogenic agents related to genetic mutations and DNA damage in organs such as the colon. However, other attributes of microbiota, such as greater diversity and specific bacterial species and their metabolites, are linked to better clinical outcomes and potentially improved anti-tumor immunity. In addition, the intratumoral microbial composition strongly affects T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity and anti-tumor immune surveillance, adding more complexity to the cancer-microbiome-immune axis.
  • 860
  • 26 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Pathogens Associated with Pre-Eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia, the second most frequent direct source of maternal mortality, is a multisystem gestational disorder characterized by proteinuria and maternal hypertension after the 20th gestational week. Metabolic conditions, immunological changes, and fluctuating hormone levels of the pregnant woman induce a dysbiosis of the oral microbiota and contribute to increase inflammation of periodontal tissues. Periodontal pathogens, as well as inflammatory molecules produced in response to periodontopathogens, could diffuse through the bloodstream inducing a placenta inflammatory response. In addition, periodontopathogens can colonize the vaginal microbiota through the gastrointestinal tract or during oro-genital contact. A cumulative bi-directional relationship between periodontal conditions, pathogens and pre-eclampsia exists.
  • 859
  • 24 Nov 2021
Topic Review
HERV-K, Immune Response in ALS
Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K env-su glycoprotein has been documented in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where HERV-K env-su 19–37 antibody levels significantly correlated with clinical measures of disease severity. Herein, we investigated further the humoral and cell-mediated immune response against specific antigenic peptides derived from HERV-K in ALS. HERV-K env glycoprotein expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) membrane and cytokines and chemokines after stimulation with HERV-K env 19–37 and HERV-K env 109–126 were quantified in patients and healthy controls (HCs). HERV-K env glycoprotein was more expressed in B cells and NK cells of ALS patients compared to HCs, whereas HERV-K env transcripts were similar in ALS and HCs. In ALS patients, specific stimulation with HERV-K env 109–126 peptide showed a higher expression of IL-6 by CD19/B cells. Both peptides, however, were able to induce a great production of IFN-γ by stimulation CD19/B cells, and yielded a higher expression of MIP-1α and a lower expression of MCP-1. HERV-K env 19–37 peptide induced a great production of TNF-α in CD8/T cells. In conclusion, we observed the ability of HERV-K to modulate the immune system, generating mediators mainly involved in proinflammatory response.
  • 854
  • 31 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Sulcia Muelleri
"Candidatus Sulcia muelleri" is an aerobic, gram-negative, bacillus bacteria that is a part of the phylum Bacteroidetes. S. muelleri is an obligate and mutualistic symbiotic microbe commonly found occupying specialized cell compartments of sap-feeding insects called bacteriocytes. A majority of the research done on S. muelleri has detailed its relationship with the host Homalodisca vitripennis. Other studies have documented the nature of its residency in other insects like the maize leafhopper (Cicadulina) or the spittlebug (Cercopoidea). Sulcia muelleri is noted for its exceptionally minimal genome and it is currently identified as having the smallest known sequenced Bacteroidetes genome at only 245 kilobases.
  • 854
  • 20 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Oral Cavity and Candida albicans
Candida colonisation of the oral cavity increases in immunocompromised individuals which leads to the development of oral candidiasis. In addition, host factors such as xerostomia, smoking, oral prostheses, dental caries, diabetes and cancer treatment accelerate the disease process. Candida albicans is the primary causative agent of this infection, owing to its ability to form biofilm and hyphae and to produce hydrolytic enzymes and candialysin. 
  • 854
  • 08 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria and Genes in Fermented Foods
Fermented food products are widely consumed for their nutritional and health-promoting properties, earning them a central place in diets around the globe. However, these foods can present a paradox, as they have the potential to harbor not only beneficial probiotics but also antibiotic-resistant (AR) microbes and genes. The impact of AR microbes and genes in fermented foods has far-reaching implications, such as potential effects on human health, repercussions in the food industry, and environmental consequences. 
  • 853
  • 31 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Drug Resistance in Nontuberculous Mycobacteria
The genus Mycobacterium comprises a multitude of species known to cause serious disease in humans, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. leprae, the responsible agents for tuberculosis and leprosy, respectively. In addition, there is a worldwide spike in the number of infections caused by a mixed group of species such as the M. avium, M. abscessus and M. ulcerans complexes, collectively called nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs). The situation is forecasted to worsen because, like tuberculosis, NTMs either naturally possess or are developing high resistance against conventional antibiotics.
  • 851
  • 27 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota Balance on Health–Disease
The gut microbiota is a group of organisms that provides various benefits and imparts resistance to the colonization of new species, maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the host. However, an imbalance in this complex community could lead to recolonization by pathogenic microorganisms, causing inflammatory processes and the evolution of various diseases . This suggests that gut microbiota maintains the homeostasis of the human intestine .
  • 851
  • 16 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Cas12-Based CRISPR-Dx
Based on the current development in the field of diagnostics, the programmable clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) system appears to be a promising technology that can be further explored to create rapid, cost-effective, sensitive, and specific diagnostic tools for both laboratory and point-of-care (POC) testing.
  • 851
  • 20 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Extraction from Cyanidium caldarium
Phycocyanin is a blue colored pigment, synthesized by several species of cyanobacteria and red algae. Besides the application as a food-colorant, the pigmented protein is of high interest as a pharmaceutically and nutritionally valuable compound. Since cyanobacteria-derived phycocyanin is thermolabile, red algae that are adapted to high temperatures are an interesting source for phycocyanin extraction. 
  • 850
  • 14 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Fungal Host Defence
Humans have developed complex immune systems that defend against invading microbes, including fungal pathogens. Many highly specialized cells of the immune system share the ability to store antimicrobial compounds in membrane bound organelles that can be immediately deployed to eradicate or inhibit growth of invading pathogens. These membrane-bound organelles consist of secretory vesicles or granules, which move to the surface of the cell, where they fuse with the plasma membrane to release their contents in the process of degranulation. Lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells, eosinophils, and basophils all degranulate in fungal host defence. While anti-microbial secretory vesicles are shared among different immune cell types, information about each cell type has emerged independently leading to an uncoordinated and confusing classification of granules and incomplete description of the mechanism by which they are deployed. While there are important differences, there are many similarities in granule morphology, granule content, stimulus for degranulation, granule trafficking, and release of granules against fungal pathogens.
  • 848
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Pyogenic Bacterial Meningitis
Pyogenic bacterial meningitis is a life threatening condition that can progress rapidly leading to death. When the disease happens in infants, children, and young adults, it may instill fear due to the contagious and potentially deadly nature of the disease especially in outbreak situation.
  • 845
  • 31 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Biofilm-Forming Ability of Phytopathogenic Bacteria
Phytopathogenic bacteria not only affect crop yield and quality but also the environment. Understanding the mechanisms involved in their survival is essential to develop new strategies to control plant disease. One such mechanism is the formation of biofilms; i.e., microbial communities within a three-dimensional structure that offers adaptive advantages, such as protection against unfavorable environmental conditions. Biofilm-producing phytopathogenic bacteria are difficult to manage. They colonize the intercellular spaces and the vascular system of the host plants and cause a wide range of symptoms such as necrosis, wilting, leaf spots, blight, soft rot, and hyperplasia.
  • 844
  • 08 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Clinical Microbiome Data and Food Efficacy Assessment
Efficacy evaluation through a disease model using the gut microbiome of well-controlled obese rats using a risk prediction model based on clinical microbiome data for inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer is a useful food efficacy evaluation tool.
  • 840
  • 13 Oct 2022
Topic Review
T2Candida
Invasive candidiasis is a common healthcare-associated infection with high mortality and is difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific symptoms and limitations of culture based diagnostic methods. T2Candida, based on T2 magnetic resonance technology, is FDA approved for the diagnosis of candidemia and can rapidly detect the five most commonly isolated Candida sp. in approximately 5 h directly from whole blood. We discuss the preclinical and clinical studies of T2Candida for the diagnosis of candidemia and review the current literature on its use in deep-seated candidiasis, its role in patient management and prognosis, clinical utility in unique populations and non-blood specimens, and as an antifungal stewardship tool. Lastly, we summarize the strengths and limitations of this promising nonculture-based diagnostic test.
  • 839
  • 09 Mar 2021
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