Latest Articles
ReviewMicroorganisms in the Placenta: Links to Early-Life Inflammation and Neurodevelopment in ChildrenPrenatal exposure to various stressors can influence both early and later life childhood health. Microbial infection of the intrauterine environment, specifically within the placenta, has been associated with deleterious birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, as well as adverse neurological outcomes later in life.
ReviewFactors That Influence the Immune Response to VaccinationThere is substantial variation between individuals in the immune response to vaccination. In this review, we provide an overview of the plethora of studies that have investigated factors that influence humoral and cellular vaccine responses in humans.
ReviewCandida parapsilosis: from Genes to the BedsidePatients with suppressed immunity are at the highest risk for hospital-acquired infections. Among these, invasive candidiasis is the most prevalent systemic fungal nosocomial infection.
ReviewEchinococcosis: Advances in the 21st CenturyEchinococcosis is a zoonosis caused by cestodes of the genus Echinococcus (family Taeniidae). This serious and near-cosmopolitan disease continues to be a significant public health issue, with western China being the area of highest endemicity for both the cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) forms of echinococcosis.
ReviewMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and ManagementStaphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remains among the most morbid bacterial infections, with mortality estimates ranging from 40% to 80%. The proportion of PVE cases due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has grown in recent decades, to account for more than...
ReviewNDM Metallo-β-Lactamases and Their Bacterial Producers in Health Care SettingsNew Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is a metallo-β-lactamase able to hydrolyze almost all β-lactams. Twenty-four NDM variants have been identified in >60 species of 11 bacterial families, and several variants have enhanced carbapenemase activity.
ReviewEscherichia coli Pathobionts Associated with Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseGut bacteria play a key role in initiating and maintaining the inflammatory process in the gut tissues of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, by supplying antigens or other stimulatory factors that trigger immune cell activation. Changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in IBD patients compared to that in healthy controls and a reduced diversity of intestinal microbial species are linked to the pathogenesis of IBD...
ReviewThe Enterococcus: a Model of Adaptability to Its EnvironmentThe genus Enterococcus comprises a ubiquitous group of Gram-positive bacteria that are of great relevance to human health for their role as major causative agents of health care-associated infections. The enterococci are resilient and versatile species able to survive under harsh conditions, making them well adapted to the health care environment.
ReviewTreating Polymicrobial Infections in Chronic Diabetic WoundsThis review provides a comprehensive summary of issues associated with treating polyclonal bacterial biofilms in chronic diabetic wounds. We use this as a foundation and discuss the alternatives to conventional antibiotics and the emerging need for suitable drug delivery systems.
ReviewPhage Therapy in the Postantibiotic EraAntibiotic resistance is arguably the biggest current threat to global health. An increasing number of infections are becoming harder or almost impossible to treat, carrying high morbidity, mortality, and financial cost.