Articles tagged with Drug Resistance
MIT researchers have found that lung cancers can use two different mechanisms to evade KRAS-inhibiting drugs, with some tumor cells developing resistance by amplifying the KRAS gene and others changing their tumor type, leading to new insights into treatment resistance and potential targets for new drugs.
A new study from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light reveals that physical processes in growing tumors and microbial biofilms play a crucial role in determining the optimal timing of treatment cycles. The researchers used a 'Real-To-Sim-To-Real' approach, combining microbial model systems and computer simulations, to show...
Adults with hard-to-treat epilepsy who used cannabis most days had more seizures and became resistant to antiseizure medications compared to nonusers. The study suggests cannabis use is associated with more severe epilepsy, but cannot establish causation.
A new study by Danish researchers proposes a paradigm shift in understanding antibiotic resistance, highlighting the importance of environmental factors such as temperature, oxygen levels, and pH. This new knowledge may lead to more targeted treatments and better monitoring of resistance in humans, animals, and the environment.
Researchers have discovered a gene, Irx5, that enables blood cancer cells to evade treatment by boosting survival protein levels. By activating specific genes using CRISPR activation tool Partita, the team also identified new potential treatment targets for aggressive lymphoma.
A new review suggests that microplastics can act as mobile carriers for antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes, creating hotspots where resistance can persist and spread. The review calls for integrated treatment methods to control microplastics, antibiotics, and resistance genes.
Researchers used AI to screen a drug library for Streptococcus pneumoniae, identifying 11 compounds with antibacterial properties. Nine of these compounds inhibited the growth of the bacteria, including one that showed efficacy against drug-resistant strains.
A global study of over 700 bacterial genomes found that 87% of the bacteria from dogs and cats belonged to strains identified in humans. The study also revealed high levels of antibiotic resistance, with nearly half of animal-derived samples carrying genes resistant to clinically important antibiotics.
A study of 13 drinking water sources in China's Poyang Lake region reveals that river-type sources carry higher risks from antibiotics and resistant bacteria than reservoir-type sources. The findings highlight the importance of considering water source type when designing monitoring and pollution-control strategies.
Researchers at the University of Osaka have identified a previously unknown mechanism that allows the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae to export the antibiotic fosfomycin. The discovery provides new clues to drug resistance and could lead to the development of more effective treatments for bacterial infections.
Microplastics act as pollutant shuttles, carrying chemicals, pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes through water, soil, food webs and environmental boundaries. A three-tiered framework identifies conditions for dominant ecological risks, highlighting the need for realistic risk assessment and unified global governance.
Tom Beneke, a molecular biologist, has received an ERC Starting Grant to study Leishmania parasites' drug resistance. He aims to unravel the genetics of the pathogens and identify key factors contributing to treatment failure.
Wei Xu, a Marshall University researcher, has received two NIH grants to investigate new approaches for combating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. His projects focus on CAUTIs and Group A Streptococcus skin infections, with potential breakthroughs in biomarkers and therapies that prevent biofilm formation.
Researchers will investigate how mutation rates evolve across species, with potential insights into cancer progression and antibiotic resistance. The study aims to understand how reproductive modes alter mutation rates, which could inform broader understanding of evolution and adaptation.
Researchers identify IL-26 as a key regulator that reprograms tumor cells to evade immune attack, promoting immune escape and resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy. Targeting IL-26 may improve immunotherapy outcomes and lead to new treatments for cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases.
A team of researchers at Brown University identified new genetic mutations in malaria parasites that make them less susceptible to current treatments. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, highlight the rapid spread of these variants and the need for improved surveillance and new therapies.
Researchers at Michigan State University identified a counter defense used by phages that helps them stay ahead of bacterial hosts. The discovery could lead to more effective phage therapies in response to the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant infections.
New research at Aston University shows that mānuka honey's effectiveness against disease-causing bacteria cannot be attributed solely to its sugar content and methylglyoxal levels. The study identified additional bioactive compounds responsible for the antimicrobial activity, which may lead to the development of more effective honey-de...
Researchers at Stanford University have developed an AI-powered tool called Evo 2 that can design novel phages to kill bacteria, including E. coli. The tool has already synthesized nearly 300 new phages and identified 16 exceptionally effective ones.
Researchers found that IVMT-Rx-4 selectively blocks the function of the MDA-9/Syntenin protein, limiting tumor growth and eliminating therapy resistance in preclinical cancer models. The study suggests a new targeted treatment option for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
A China-wide study reveals that hospital characteristics do not significantly shape nearby water resistomes, with geography and broader urban pollution being the main factors influencing antibiotic resistance gene patterns. Proper wastewater treatment can substantially reduce the environmental release of resistance genes from hospitals.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a new family of antifungal agents that are more potent and less toxic than existing treatments. The compounds, which were discovered through genome mining, showed increased antifungal activity and improved solubility compared to existing drugs.
New research suggests that tire microplastics can create environmental hotspots that facilitate the persistence, transfer, and spread of antibiotic resistance genes through cities. The microplastics can develop dense microbial biofilms, release chemicals that select for resistant bacteria, and contribute to oxidative stress.
A new study reveals that industrial poultry farming has led to a 100-fold increase in Campylobacter movement, allowing strains to mix extensively in commercial poultry populations. This has resulted in more than 3.5 times as many gastroenteritis cases in the UK each year compared to other foodborne bacteria.
A new study identified genetic changes in wild populations of the parasitic worm that causes schistosomiasis, which may reduce its response to praziquantel. The findings highlight the need for ongoing genomic surveillance to protect the long-term effectiveness of praziquantel.
A growing number of European countries are detecting gonococcal strains resistant to ceftriaxone, posing a significant challenge for treatment options. Early detections are associated with importation from South-East Asia, and strengthening prevention is essential.
Researchers explored how AI and metabolic modeling can inform effective biocontrol strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance in built environments. Microbial biocontrol using 'good' microbes has shown promise, but inconsistent outcomes are due to various factors, including genetic differences and environmental stressors.
A pilot clinical trial assessed ibuprofen's safety and efficacy as an adjunct to standard TB treatment in patients with pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB. Participants showed a reduced inflammatory response, indicating potential benefits for host-directed therapies.
Researchers identify a promising new strategy to overcome drug resistance in deadly brain cancer by blocking nitrosative stress. Combining BA-101 with temozolomide slows tumor growth, reduces cancer's ability to spread, and increases cancer cell death.
Researchers propose a three-part evolutionary framework for using bacteriophages to control antimicrobial resistance. The phage-host evolutionary triad suggests that phages can sometimes stabilize resistant bacteria instead of eliminating them, depending on environmental factors.
Researchers uncovered the genetic history of Acinetobacter baumannii, tracing its evolution over decades to identify key resistance traits and global spread. The study provides valuable insights for guiding policies on antibiotic use and combating this serious healthcare threat.
Researchers have uncovered a potential strategy to eliminate cancer cells that survive KRAS inhibition, preventing relapse. By targeting the metabolic pathways that support the survival of drug-tolerant persister cells, treatment regimens could be designed to shrink tumors and prevent cancer recurrence.
Cancer cells develop multiple resistance mechanisms to antibody-drug conjugates, including antigen downregulation and mutation, internalization deficits, and payload efflux. Researchers propose innovative strategies, such as bispecific ADCs, dual-payload designs, and combination regimens, to overcome these defenses.
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have discovered a key process for how gram-negative bacteria attach their outer membrane to the cell wall. The study found that protein PA2854 performs a chemical reaction linking the outer membrane to the cell wall, a crucial step in maintaining the bacterium's health.
A new study forecasts global antimicrobial resistance threats for the next two decades, identifying 210 traits that could pose the greatest future risk. The research uses machine learning and forecasting to predict which genetic factors will become more prevalent and which may decline over time.
Researchers found that temperature and calcium levels inside cells can dramatically impact how drugs interact with their targets. This discovery could lead to smarter medicine design and more effective treatments.
Research finds that antibiotics and their breakdown products can contribute to resistance, even after treatment. The study suggests that wastewater treatment plants act as hidden reservoirs of bioactivity, leading to increased antibiotic resistance. Human usage of antibiotics is also identified as a major driver of this issue.
New research shows that antibiotics can drive bacterial resistance even after they are broken down in wastewater treatment plants and discharged into rivers and seas. The study found that some metabolites form when antibiotics break down retain the ability to promote antibiotic resistance.
A study analyzing nearly 2,000 human infections with Shiga-producing E. coli found increasing resistance to antibiotics, particularly for tetracycline and sulfisoxazole. The researchers propose a 'One Health' approach to address the issue, focusing on antibiotic stewardship in agriculture, food safety, and environmental controls.
A CDC study found that most NDM-CRE cases were caused by a few high-risk strains, primarily from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. The discovery of new high-risk clones highlights the importance of genomic surveillance to catch emerging threats early.
The center will develop new phage-based treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, predicting which phage to use for which patient and designing more effective phages. The goal is to generate unprecedented data and train AI models to identify the right phage for any patient's infection.
A new preclinical study suggests that targeting tumor-specific inflammatory processes could enhance the efficacy of some anticancer therapies and prevent drug resistance. The researchers found that tumors treated with KRAS inhibitors often developed inflammation-related gene expression changes, which contributed to drug resistance.
Europe's bacterial STI cases reached record highs in 2024, driven by gonorrhoea and syphilis, with men who have sex with men disproportionately affected. The near doubling of congenital syphilis cases highlights the need for improved antenatal screening protocols to prevent transmission to newborns.
Researchers used wastewater surveillance to detect drug-resistant Candida auris strains up to five months before patients showed symptoms, opening a new frontier for hospitals. The study found higher detection rates and concentrations of the pathogen in hospital wastewater compared to community-scale treatment plants.
The CCRE survey provides the most comprehensive genomic picture to date of carbapenem- and/or colistin-resistant Enterobacterales across European hospitals. The results reveal heterogeneous yet increasingly concerning epidemiological patterns, suggesting a high risk that carbapenem-resistant E. coli could become endemic in Europe.
Researchers developed ApexGO, an AI-powered method to turn weak antibiotic candidates into more potent ones. The tool uses generative AI and Bayesian optimization to guide molecular tweaks, predicting which changes are likely to increase antimicrobial activity.
Researchers have developed a new combination therapy that shows promising results in treating patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The treatment, which combines two mechanisms of action, has been shown to improve clinical remission rates by more than 20 percentage points compared to existing therapies.
Researchers identified how Mycobacterium abscessus evades treatment and proposed a strategy to overcome resistance, offering a pathway towards more effective treatments. A combination therapy targeting both smooth and rough variants proved more effective than single-phage treatment.
A preclinical study found that mice stopped and restarted GLP-1s gained less weight over time, with a significant decrease in muscle mass. The researchers suggest that clinicians help patients preserve muscle mass while on these medications through exercise or nutrition.
EGFR-TKIs have significantly improved OS and quality of life for EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients. However, ongoing research is needed to refine therapies for precise individualized treatment, addressing resistance mechanisms and optimal combination strategies.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new method to target intrinsically disordered proteins, which are difficult to treat with medication. The approach has shown promise in slowing prostate cancer growth and could lead to new treatments for various diseases.
A new study reveals that bacteria can actively limit the spread of antibiotic resistance genes by deploying molecular gatekeepers called YokF. This mechanism blocks the transfer of beneficial genes, giving microbes a competitive advantage in dense microbial communities.
New findings render antibiotic-resistant bacteria vulnerable by disabling individual resistance and cross-protection. This approach offers new possibilities for treating resistant infections associated with cystic fibrosis and may inform the treatment of a broad range of antibiotic-resistant infections.
A study analyzing meconium samples from newborns found high prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes, including those linked to carbapenem resistance. The findings suggest that maternal transmissions and early hospital exposure contribute to the establishment of these genes in the neonatal gut.
A new study reveals that cancer cells may begin escaping therapy much earlier, triggered by a stress response that drives them into a temporary drug-tolerant state. Researchers identified an early molecular trigger: NF-κB, which acts as a regulator of cellular stress and survival.
The Microbiology Society's Annual Conference 2026 will bring together researchers from around the world to discuss antimicrobial resistance and its impact on global health. The conference will explore ways to slow the spread of superbugs through scientific research, policy, and international collaboration.
Scientists at the University of Virginia Health System have developed a suite of AI-powered tools, called YuelDesign, YuelPocket and YuelBond, to transform how new drugs are created. These tools can design drug molecules tailored to fit their protein targets exactly, even accounting for protein flexibility.
Researchers discovered that mutations in a key protein make yeast found in dogs with common outer ear infections more resistant to topical antifungals. The team recommends using shorter-tailed azoles as initial therapy for dogs with yeast ear infections, reserving longer-tailed azoles for recurrent or non-responsive cases.
A long-term public study found that phytochemicals from oregano and rosemary supported favorable gut health and growth performance in weaned pigs, preserving microbial diversity to improve nutrient utilization. The natural agents outperformed antibiotic growth promoters in terms of final body weight and gain-to-feed ratio.
Researchers discovered that antibiotic resistance genes were present in all groups, including patients with COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and sarcoidosis, as well as healthy individuals. The study also found that recent antibiotic use was linked to higher prevalence of resistance genes.