Antibiotic

A new antibiotic combo has proven promising in a clinical trial for treating an often-deadly form of pneumonia. The experimental drug was found to be at least as effective in preventing death as the current standard, but with far milder side effects.The more exposure bacteria get to a specific antibiotic, the better they evolve defenses against it, and eventually that drug is no longer effective. Traditionally when this happens we just move onto new drugs, but the supply is rapidly running out. In many cases we’re down to…

An antibiotic developed some 80 years ago before being abandoned and forgotten could again offer exciting new solutions, this time to the emerging threat of drug-resistant superbugs.Half of the bacteria-killing drugs we use today are variations of compounds that were found nearly a century ago, during this 'golden age' of antibiotics. One called streptothricin was isolated in the 1940s, drawing attention for its potential in treating infections caused by what are known as gram-negative bacteria.Unlike gram-positive…

A study from the University of Gothenburg reveals that wastewater environments are more conducive to antibiotic resistance evolution than previously thought, with unique characteristics enabling resistance genes to transfer from harmless to disease-causing bacteria. The research emphasizes the need for attention on waste streams alongside efforts to reduce antibiotic use in humans and animals, in order to prevent the emergence of new antibiotic-resistant bacteria.According to a recent study from the University of…

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea, are increasing across the nation, particularly affecting men who have sex with men and transgender women. Recent studies suggest that post-exposure prophylaxis with doxycycline (doxy-PEP) could reduce the risk of these STIs in these high-risk groups.A study by scientists at UCSF and the <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>University of…

The healing powers of poop can now officially come in a more palatable pill. This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Vowst, an oral capsule packed with beneficial bacteria derived from human fecal matter. The drug is intended to treat recurrent infections of Clostridioides difficile by balancing out the gut microbiome.Won’t Virtual Reality Make Me Sick?While certain bacteria and other microorganisms regularly make us sick, our bodies are filled with many more species that are either harmless or even…

While antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the rise, you might have thought that the potentially deadly bugs would be found mostly in the places where people and other animals congregate: namely, the surface of the Earth. But researchers from Canada and France have found them in a most remarkable place.Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and fungi are responsible for killing at least 1.27 million people worldwide every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fighting these superbugs is getting…

Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in the medical community, as it poses a threat to the effective treatment of bacterial infections. This occurs when bacteria evolve and become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat them, making it more difficult to control and cure infections.A new method for quick antibiotic susceptibility testing using optical microscopy has been created by scientists from EPFL and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The approach, called Optical Nanomotion Detection, is fast, accurate at the…

Have you ever had a nasty infection that just won't seem to go away? Or a runny nose that keeps coming back? You may have been dealing with a bacterium that is tolerant of, though not yet resistant to, antibiotics.Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem, contributing to nearly 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019. But antibiotic tolerance is a covert threat that researchers have only recently begun to explore.Antibiotic tolerance happens when a bacterium manages to survive for a long time after being exposed to an…

Covid-related precautions helped minimize the spread plenty of other communicable diseases. But now, those bugs are back, along with some new challenges. The CDC reports that strep A infections (a.k.a strep throat), caused by a bacterium known as A Streptococcus, have surged from covid lows to above pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and 2023. And the recent spike in strep cases coincides with a shortage of one of the medicines most commonly used to treat the infections, particularly in children, as pointed out in a Monday NPR…

The ability of human pathogens to develop resistance to antibiotics poses a serious threat to public health, but this is probably not news to you.Even people without recent antibiotic use have higher antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens in countries with high antibiotic use than healthy people in countries with comparatively lower antibiotic use.Recent research from the Earlham Institute and Quadram Institute in the UK in conjunction with an international team of scientists suggests that any and all of the bacteria…