Improved Targeting Using Sugar-Coated Antibiotics
Researchers from the John Innes Centre and the University of East Anglia have recently elucidated the structure and function of an enzyme which is involved in decorating antibiotics with sugar molecules. Many antibiotics have a variety of different carbohydrate molecules attached to them which can help the antibiotic to be taken up by the target organism or overcome resistance.
EPA Registered Disinfectant Kills Both Known Types Of MRSA
While MRSA has been an issue in healthcare settings for years, CA-MRSA outbreaks in the community have been on the rise, with the greatest risk in community settings such as fitness clubs, in sports teams, at schools and daycare centers.
The Genome Of A Newly Emerging Superbug Reveals An Organism With A Remarkable Capacity For Drug Resistance
The genome of a newly-emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, has just been sequenced. The results reveal an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug resistance. The research was carried out by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge and the University of Bristol.
Funding For Superbug Spin-Out
Procarta Biosystems, the company spun-out of the John Innes Centre in 2007 to develop a technology designed to defeat antibiotic-resistant superbugs, has received significant seed funding. The Rainbow Seed Fund and the Iceni Seedcorn Fund will enable Procarta to further develop its DNA decoy technique, which aims to restore antibiotic efficacy against resistant superbugs, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE).
Forest Laboratories Announces Positive Results From Phase III Clinical Studies Of Ceftaroline For The Treatment Of Complicated Skin Infections
Forest Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: FRX) announced positive results from two globally conducted, multi-center Phase III studies of ceftaroline, a broad-spectrum cephalosporin with activity against gram-positive bacteria, such as MRSA and gram negative bacteria, for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI).
NovaBay NBY Announces Positive Results From Phase IIA Study Of AgaNase TM For Nasal Decolonization Of Staph Including MRSA
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX & TSX: NBY) a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced top line results from a Phase IIa exploratory clinical trial for NVC-422, the company's lead non-antibiotic antimicrobial Aganocide compound, which is being developed for the prevention and treatment of infections.
Nationwide Progress Poll Reveals Increased Efforts By Hospitals To Control MRSA Infection
More than three out of four (76%) infection prevention and control professionals (ICPs) polled indicated they have implemented additional measures to prevent the transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the last year, but 54% said their institutions are not.
Research Priorities To Fight Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) has long been one of the world's great killers. Now, forms of drug-resistant TB--multidrug (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)--are occurring at an ominous and accelerating rate. To help in the fight against drug-resistant TB, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has formulated an MDR and XDR TB research agenda.
Global Risk - Infection By Deadly Bacterium Can Be Prevented With Proper Sanitation
As urban sprawl spreads throughout the globe, so do poor urban ghettos and the infectious diseases that are perpetrated by unsanitary slum conditions. Weill Cornell researchers stationed in the urban slums of Salvador, Brazil, have discovered that certain unhealthy living conditions lead to transmission of leptospirosis, a life-threatening disease caused by the bacterium Leptospira.
Bacteria Can Be Spread By Antibacterial Wipes
A new study by a team of researchers at the Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, Wales, UK, has found that antimicrobial-containing wipes currently used to decontaminate surfaces in hospitals can spread pathogens after first use. The research highlights concerns as to the suitability of the wipes currently being deployed and the importance of a routine surveillance program in reducing risks of infection to patients.