You're using an outdated browser. Please upgrade to a modern browser for the best experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Fungal Extracellular Vesicles
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous vesicular organelles that perform a variety of biological functions including cell communication across different biological kingdoms. EVs of mammals and, to a lesser extent, bacteria have been deeply studied over the years, whereas investigations of fungal EVs are still in their infancy. Fungi, encompassing both yeast and filamentous forms, are increasingly recognized for their production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing a wealth of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. These EVs play pivotal roles in orchestrating fungal communities, bolstering pathogenicity, and mediating interactions with the environment. 
  • 667
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Ammonium Terminated Antibacterial Dendrimers
Tapping into our review recently published in Nanomaterials and available on line at https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/10/2022/htm, we have created two entry on Encyclopedia. The first one consists in a general overview concerning antibacterial cationic dendrimers, followed by an updated review about the PAMAM and PPI-based cationic dendrimers developed in the last decade (https://encyclopedia.pub/7167), which showed considerable antibacterial properties. In the second entry, we have provided an updated overview concerning the most studied class of antibacterial cationic dendrimers, i.e. the dendrimeric antimicrobial peptides (https://encyclopedia.pub/7223). This third entry collects the main case studies concerning the antibacterial cationic dendrimers having different internal scaffolds, but peripherally positively charged due to the presence of terminal ammonium groups.
  • 666
  • 19 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Cryptococcus neoformans/C. gattii Complex
The epidemiology of the Cryptococcus species complex (SC) is well known and briefly summarized below. Among these species, most clinical isolates are C. neoformans; C. gattii has been isolated in the U.S., mostly in the Pacific Northwest area.
  • 666
  • 29 May 2023
Topic Review
Strategies for Facilitating Quick Antibacterial Responses
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a pressing public health concern, highlighting the need for alternative approaches to control bacterial infections. Promising approaches include the development of therapeutic vaccines and the utilization of innate immune activation techniques, which may prove useful in conjunction with antibiotics, as well as other antibacterial modalities. However, innate activation should be fast and self- or actively- contained to prevent detrimental consequences. TLR (Toll-like receptor) ligand adjuvants are effective at rapidly activating, within minutes to hours, the innate immune system by inducing cytokine production and other signaling molecules that bolster the host’s immune response. Neutrophils serve as the first line of defense against invading pathogens by capturing and destroying them through various mechanisms, such as phagocytosis, intracellular degradation, and the formation of NETs (Neutrophil Extracellular Traps). Nutritional immunity is another host defense mechanism that limits the availability of essential metals, such as iron, from invading bacterial pathogens. Thus, iron starvation has been proposed as a potential antibacterial strategy. 
  • 665
  • 14 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), in which autoreactive immune cells attack the myelin sheaths of the neurons. Many scientific studies reveal a significant connection between human intestinal microbiota, eating habits, and the development of chronic-degenerative diseases; therefore, alterations in the composition and function of the microbiota may be accompanied by different chronic inflammatory mechanisms.
  • 664
  • 27 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Diet, Microbes, and Metabolites
Many studies performed to date have implicated select microbes and dietary factors in a variety of cancers, yet the complexity of both these diseases and the relationship between these factors has limited the ability to translate findings into therapies and preventative guidelines.
  • 663
  • 05 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Aqueous Plant Extracts in Management of Bacterial Infections
Plant-derived aqueous extracts compounds could provide novel straightforward approaches to control pathogenic bacteria. This review focus on the antimicrobial activity of aqueous plant extracts against Salmonella serovars, the possible mechanisms of action involved, which components/structures might be responsible for such activity, and the current challenges for the use of these extracts/components in Salmonella infection management and their application perspectives.
  • 660
  • 14 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Transkingdom Analysis of the Female Reproductive Tract
The female reproductive tract (FRT) microbiome plays a vital role in maintaining vaginal health. Viruses are key regulators of other microbial ecosystems, but little is known about how the FRT viruses (virome), particularly bacteriophages that comprise the phageome, impact FRT health and dysbiosis. 
  • 660
  • 30 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Microorganisms in Sarcoid Tissues
Sarcoidosis may have more than a single causative agent, including infectious and non-infectious agents. Among the potential infectious causes of sarcoidosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Propionibacterium acnes are the most likely microorganisms. 
  • 657
  • 19 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Bacteriophages and Their Interactions with Bacterial Hosts
Bacteriophages (or phages) are viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria at the end of the phage infection cycle, causing bacterial cell death and lysis.
  • 657
  • 14 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Leptospirosis Infecting Bats
Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. This zoonotic disease affects humans, domestic animals, and wild animals. Colombia is considered an endemic country for leptospirosis, and Antioquia is the second department in Colombia, with the highest number of reported leptospirosis cases.
  • 656
  • 15 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Gut Microbiome–Estrogen Axis in Gynecological Disorders
The gut microbiota (GM) functions as an endocrine organ that can influence other distant organs. The GM has been found to modulate hormone levels in the body, especially estrogens in women
  • 656
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Human Bacterial Gut Colonization
Thorough understanding of the initial colonization process of human intestines is important to optimize the prevention of microbiota-associated diseases, and also to further improve the current microbial therapies. In recent years, therefore, colonization of the human gut has gained renewed interest.
  • 651
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Insects for Sustainable Aquaculture
One of the greatest challenges to achieving a sustainable aquaculture is finding alternatives to fishmeal as a primary protein source in aquafeeds. Insects represent one of the most promising alternatives being explored and produced as replacements for this ingredient.
  • 651
  • 23 May 2023
Topic Review
Tuberculosis and Its Relevant Aspects
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), whose pathogenic role was demonstrated in 1882 by the research conducted by Koch. TB is transmitted from person to person through the respiratory route, commonly affecting the lungs, but other tissues can also be damaged.
  • 651
  • 07 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Drug-resistant Streptococcus Pneumoniae
A pneumococcal infection is an infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is also called the pneumococcus. S. pneumoniae is a common member of the bacterial flora colonizing the nose and throat of 5–10% of healthy adults and 20–40% of healthy children. However, it is also a cause of significant disease, being a leading cause of pneumonia, bacterial meningitis, and sepsis. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2005 pneumococcal infections were responsible for the death of 1.6 million children worldwide.
  • 650
  • 11 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Essential Oils in Food Safety and Shelf Life
The use of plant extracts (e.g., essential oils and their active compounds) represents an interesting alternative to chemical additives and preservatives applied to delay the alteration and oxidation of foods during their storage. Essential oils (EO) are nowadays considered valuable sources of food preservatives as they provide a healthier alternative to synthetic chemicals while serving the same purpose without affecting food quality parameters. The natural antimicrobial molecules found in medicinal plants represent a possible solution against drug-resistant bacteria, which represent a global health problem, especially for foodborne infections. 
  • 649
  • 30 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Metaproteomics Approach in Obesity and Diabetes
Low-grade inflammatory diseases revealed metabolic perturbations that have been linked to various phenotypes, including gut microbiota dysbiosis. Metaproteomics has been used to investigate protein composition profiles at specific steps and in specific healthy/pathologic conditions. Metaproteomics allows researchers to build a more complete overview on protein composition at a specific time (fingerprint) and in specific health conditions, especially when used in combination with meta-omics approaches.  Metaproteomics approach and pathway modulation in obesity and diabetes are described.
  • 642
  • 03 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Control of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence by One-Component Systems
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pathogen capable of colonizing virtually every human tissue. The host colonization competence and versatility of this pathogen are powered by a wide array of virulence factors necessary in different steps of the infection process. This includes factors involved in bacterial motility and attachment, biofilm formation, the production and secretion of extracellular invasive enzymes and exotoxins, the production of toxic secondary metabolites, and the acquisition of iron. Expression of these virulence factors during infection is tightly regulated, which allows their production only when they are needed. This process optimizes host colonization and virulence.
  • 640
  • 05 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Major Antimicrobial Peptides Expressed in Lung Airways
The vast surface area of the respiratory system acts as an initial site of contact for microbes and foreign particles. The whole respiratory epithelium is covered with a thin layer of the airway and alveolar secretions. Respiratory secretions contain host defense peptides (HDPs), such as defensins and cathelicidins, which are the best-studied antimicrobial components expressed in the respiratory tract. HDPs have an important role in the human body’s initial line of defense against pathogenic microbes. Epithelial and immunological cells produce HDPs in the surface fluids of the lungs, which act as endogenous antibiotics in the respiratory tract. The production and action of these antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are critical in the host’s defense against respiratory infections.
  • 639
  • 17 Feb 2023
  • Page
  • of
  • 51
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Academic Video Service
Feedback