Trends in microbiology
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Trends in microbiology · Apr 2019
ReviewAlternatives to Conventional Antibiotics in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance.
As more antibiotics are rendered ineffective by drug-resistant bacteria, focus must be shifted towards alternative therapies for treating infections. Although several alternatives already exist in nature, the challenge is to implement them in clinical use. ⋯ Whilst the use of bacteriophages and antibodies has been partly implemented, other promising strategies, such as probiotics, lysins, and antimicrobial peptides, are in various stages of development. Propitious concepts such as genetically modified phages, antibacterial oligonucleotides, and CRISPR-Cas9 are also discussed.
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Trends in microbiology · Jan 2019
ReviewCan Ebola Virus Vaccines Have Universal Immune Correlates of protection?
Testing vaccine efficacy against the highly lethal Ebola virus (EBOV) in humans is almost impossible due to obvious ethical reasons and the sporadic nature of outbreaks. For such situations, the 'animal rule' was established, requiring the product be tested in animal models, expected to predict the response observed in humans. ⋯ In the wake of the 2013-2016 EBOV epidemic, and despite advancement of promising candidates into clinical trials, protective correlates remain ambiguous. In the hope of identifying a reliable correlate by comparing preclinical and clinical trial data on immune responses to vaccination, we conclude that correlates are not universal for all EBOV vaccines.
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Trends in microbiology · Aug 2015
ReviewBat-to-human: spike features determining 'host jump' of coronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and beyond.
Both severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are zoonotic pathogens that crossed the species barriers to infect humans. The mechanism of viral interspecies transmission is an important scientific question to be addressed. ⋯ In addition, the S protein needs to be cleaved by host proteases before executing fusion, making these proteases a second determinant of coronavirus interspecies infection. Here, we summarize the progress made in the past decade in understanding the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV by focusing on the features of the S protein, its receptor-binding characteristics, and the cleavage process involved in priming.
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While several impeding factors have limited Ebola vaccine development, the current epidemic has provided a surge which may lead to a record pace for a vaccine against Ebola. Consequently, multiple FDA trials are currently underway using two promising vaccine platforms; one has recently demonstrated durable immunity within non-human primates.