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Topic Review
Unconventional Treatment of Biofilm Infection
Today, researchers are looking at new ways to treat severe infections caused by resistance to standard antibiotic therapy. This is quite challenging due to the complex and interdependent relationships involved: the cause of infection–the patient–antimicrobial agents. The sessile biofilm form is essential in research to reduce resistance to very severe infections (such as ESKAPE pathogens: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp). The purpose of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms of the occurrence, maintenance, and suppression of biofilm infections. One form of biofilm suppression is the efficient action of natural antagonists of bacteria—bacteriophages. Bacteriophages effectively penetrate the biofilm’s causative cells. They infect those bacterial cells and either destroy them or prevent the infection from spreading. In this process, bacteriophages are specific, relatively easy to apply, and harmless to the patient. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) support the mechanisms of bacteriophages’ action. AMPs could also attack and destroy infectious agents on their own (even on biofilm). AMPs are simple, universal peptide molecules, mainly cationic peptides. Additional AMP research could help develop even more effective treatments of biofilm (bacteriophages, antibiotics, AMPs, nanoparticles). This is a review of recent unconventional agents, such as bacteriophages and AMPs, used for the eradication of biofilm, providing an overview of potentially new biofilm treatment strategies.
  • 707
  • 20 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Pterostilbene in Gastrointestinal Cancer Cells
Pterostilbene (PTE) is a natural sterbenoid contained in blueberries that has an antioxidant effect. In contrast, PTE also generates oxidative stress in cancer cells and provides an antitumor effect.
  • 707
  • 30 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Update on Domestic Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is the leading cause of all deaths for Americans less than 44 years old, is defined as “an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force that may result in cognitive impairment". Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a type of domestic violence that is defined as “behaviors that are intended to exert power and control over another individual, including physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and financial abuse, and/or stalking".
  • 707
  • 21 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Effect of Sodium Fluorescein on High-Grade Gliomas
High-grade gliomas (HGG) are the most common primary malignant brain cancer in adults. Complete surgical removal of HGG is known to increase the overall survival and progression-free survival. Fluorescence-guided surgery with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) increases gross total resection considerably compared to white light surgery (65% vs. 36%). Recently, an off-label fluorophore, sodium fluorescein (SF), has become popular in fluorescence-guided surgery due to numerous utility benefits compared to 5-ALA, including lower cost, non-toxicity, easy administration during surgery and a wide indication for other CNS tumors.
  • 707
  • 28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
MDM2-Based Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs)
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are molecules that selectively degrade a protein of interest (POI). The incorporation of ligands that recruit mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) into PROTACs, forming the so-called MDM2-based PROTACs, has shown promise in cancer treatment due to its dual mechanism of action: a PROTAC that recruits MDM2 prevents its binding to p53, resulting not only in the degradation of POI but also in the increase of intracellular levels of the p53 suppressor, with the activation of a whole set of biological processes, such as cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. In addition, these PROTACs, in certain cases, allow for the degradation of the target, with nanomolar potency, in a rapid and sustained manner over time, with less susceptibility to the development of resistance and tolerance, without causing changes in protein expression, and with selectivity to the target, including the respective isoforms or mutations, and to the cell type, overcoming some limitations associated with the use of inhibitors for the same therapeutic target.
  • 707
  • 15 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Prognostic Factors in Spica Cast MRI
Closed reduction followed by spica casting is a conservative treatment for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can verify proper closed reduction of the dysplastic hip. The abduction angle is the only influencing factor for improved development of the DDH. No other prognostic factors in MRI measurements, such as gender, age at time of the first spica cast, or treatment involving overhead extension were found to be predictive of mid-term outcome. Mild residual dysplasia in the first follow-up X-ray warrants further observation.
  • 706
  • 26 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Human Milk Oligosaccharides as Potential Antibiofilm Agents
Bacteria possess a unique capability to form biofilms that are ubiquitous in nature. It is a multistage and elaborate process that begins with bacterial adhesion to surfaces, followed by the synthesis of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix, development of microcolonies, and finally concludes with the dispersion of the bacterial cells from the initial. The morphology of biofilms can be diverse and that mostly relies on the integral bacterial species and the circumstances under which the biofilm was originally formed. The development of biofilms protects the bacteria against enzymatic degradation, antimicrobials, and host defense systems. Population heterogeneity, slow metabolic activity, increased efflux pumps, and presence of persister subpopulations are some of the major factors that reduce antimicrobial susceptibility in biofilms. 
  • 707
  • 08 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor in the Development of Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe progressive lung disorder characterized by pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling, culminating in right-sided heart failure and increased mortality.
  • 707
  • 19 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Vascular Dysfunction in Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy-associated cardiovascular disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria at 20 weeks of gestation. Potential abnormalities include impaired placentation, incomplete spiral artery remodeling, and endothelial damage, which are further propagated by immune factors, mitochondrial stress, and an imbalance of pro- and antiangiogenic substances. Newfound evidence indicates that vasopressin is an early mediator and biomarker of the disorder, and promising future therapeutic avenues include mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction, excess oxidative stress, and the resulting inflammatory state.
  • 708
  • 17 Nov 2021
Topic Review
The Role of Cigarette Smoking on Bone Metabolism
Cigarette smoking (CS) is recognized as an independent risk factor for the development of osteoporosis. Clinical studies have illustrated that smokers have significantly lower bone mineral density (BMD) than non-smokers, and cumulative bone loss can increase their lifetime risk of hip fracture by 50%. It has been shown that long-term CS can lead to an imbalance of bone turnover, further contributing to the reduction in bone mass and bone length and increased risk of fractures. Furthermore, chronic consumption of cigarettes has been increasingly linked to impaired muscle function.
  • 706
  • 11 May 2022
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