Pseudopeptides of Marine Vibrio spp. from Taiwan and Their Combined Treatment Effects with Commercial Antibiotics.

strains, identified by 16S rDNA, were isolated from the marine environment surrounding Taiwan, revealing diverse bioactive effects, such as iron-chelating and antimicrobial activities. Notably, the hierarchical clustering dendrogram of mass spectrum profiles of the strains using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight, in contrast to the phylogenetic tree based on 16S rDNA sequencing analysis, exhibited a strong correlation with their observed bioactivities. Within this set, global natural products social molecular network analysis by LC-HRMS/MS highlighted that three strains, DJW05 - 1, DJW05 - 8, and DJW21 - 4, shared similar bioactive pseudopeptides in the same cluster.

Synergistic effect between taurine-induced silver ion and itraconazole against azole-resistant Candida species and Candida auris.

Background: Azole antifungals are the first-line choice for treating candidiasis within a limited antifungal option. However, azole-resistant Candida species have increased rapidly, causing severe clinical threats, especially multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. The emergence of Candida auris has also caused global concerns recently.

In Vivo Effect of Halicin on Methicillin-Resistant -Infected and Its Clinical Potential.

Recently, the high proportion of methicillin-resistant infections worldwide has highlighted the urgent need for novel antibiotics to combat this crisis. The recent progress in computational techniques for use in health and medicine, especially artificial intelligence (AI), has created new and potential approaches to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as repurposing existing drugs, optimizing current agents, and designing novel compounds. Halicin was previously used as a diabetic medication, acting as a c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) inhibitor, and has recently demonstrated unexpected antibacterial activity.

Potentials of organic tellurium-containing compound AS101 to overcome carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli.

Background: The issue of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli was aggravated yearly. The previous studies reported the varied but critical epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant E. coli among which the carbapenemase-producing strains were regarded as one of the most notorious issues.

Evaluation of Tellurium-Based AS101 Compound against Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infectivity.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) is a obligate human pathogen responsible for gonorrhea, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. The yearly increased multidrug resistance in GC has led to treatment failure clinically, suggesting an urgent need for novel therapy to combat this global health issue. AS101 [ammonium trichloro(dioxoethylene-O,O'-)tellurate], a tellurium-based compound previously used as an immunomodulatory agent, was found to have antimicrobial effects against Klebsiella pneumoniae via a high-throughput drug screening and showed antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter spp.

In Vitro Analysis of Matched Isolates from Localized and Disseminated Gonococcal Infections Suggests That Opa Expression Impacts Clinical Outcome.

Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted infection, which is primarily localized but can be disseminated systemically. The mechanisms by which a localized infection becomes a disseminated infection are unknown. We used five pairs of isolates from the cervix/urethra (localized) and the blood (disseminated) of patients with disseminated gonococcal infection to examine the mechanisms that confine gonococci to the genital tract or enable them to disseminate to the blood.

Synergistic Combination of AS101 and Azidothymidine against Clinical Isolates of Carbapenem-Resistant .

Owing to the over usage of carbapenems, carbapenem resistance has become a vital threat worldwide, and, thus, the World Health Organization announced the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) as the critical priority for antibiotic development in 2017. In the current situation, combination therapy would be one solution against CRE. Azidothymidine (AZT), a thymidine analog, has demonstrated its synergistically antibacterial activities with other antibiotics.

In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of AS101 against Carbapenem-Resistant .

The increasing trend of carbapenem-resistant (CRAB) worldwide has become a concern, limiting therapeutic alternatives and increasing morbidity and mortality rates. The immunomodulation agent ammonium trichloro (dioxoethylene-O,O'-) tellurate (AS101) was repurposed as an antimicrobial agent against CRAB. Between 2016 and 2018, 27 CRAB clinical isolates were collected in Taiwan.

Evaluation of the Organotellurium Compound AS101 for Treating Colistin- and Carbapenem-Resistant .

Colistin- and carbapenem-resistant cases are increasing at alarming rates worldwide. Drug repurposing is receiving greater attention as an alternative approach in light of economic and technical barriers in antibiotics research. The immunomodulation agent ammonium trichloro(dioxoethylene-,'-)tellurate (AS101) was repurposed as an antimicrobial agent against colistin- and carbapenem-resistant (CRKP).

Regulatory roles of galectins on influenza A virus and their potential as a therapeutic strategy.

Galectins, are β-galactoside binding lectins expressed in numerous cells and are known to regulate various immune responses and cellular physiological functions. Galectins have been reported to participate in the regulation of several viral infections via carbohydrate‑dependent/independent manner. Galectins have displayed various regulatory functions on viral infection, however, the detailed mechanism remains unclear.

Synergistic Antibacterial Effect of Casein-AgNPs Combined with Tigecycline against .

() is a common and challenging pathogen of nosocomial infections, due to its ability to survive on inanimate objects, desiccation tolerance, and resistance to disinfectants. In this study, we investigated an antibacterial strategy to combat via the combination of antibiotics and silver protein. This strategy used a functional platform consisting of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) resurrected from silver-based calcium thiophosphate (SSCP) through casein and arginine.

In vitro and in vivo assessments of inspired Ag/80S bioactive nanocomposites against carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

In 2017 the World Health Organization listed carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae as a critical priority for developing a novel antimicrobial agent. Here we report on our investigation of the antibacterial efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), confined to a mesostructured material and designated as an Ag/80S bioactive nanocomposite, against carbapenem-resistant K.

Emergence of aac(6')-Ie-aph(2'')-Ia-positive enterococci with non-high-level gentamicin resistance mediated by IS1216V: adaptation to decreased aminoglycoside usage in Taiwan.

Objectives: To explore the mechanisms mediating the different levels of gentamicin resistance in enterococci.

Methods: Susceptibility testing with gentamicin and PCR of resistance determinants were performed in 149 enterococcal isolates. Genetic relatedness was characterized by MLST and PFGE analysis.

Clinical Impact of the Revised 2019 CLSI Levofloxacin Breakpoints in Patients with Bacteremia.

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) revised the fluoroquinolone MIC breakpoints for in 2019, based on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analyses. However, clinical evidence supporting these breakpoint revisions is limited. A retrospective study was conducted at 3 hospitals in Taiwan between January 2017 and March 2019.

Activities of imipenem-relebactam combination against carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae in Taiwan.

Background: Imipenem-relebactam is a new β-lactam and β-lactamase inhibitor combination to treat carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria infections. However, difference in carbapenem resistant mechanisms existed with geographic variations.

Objective: To evaluate the susceptibility of imipenem-relebactam to 660 carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae isolates in Taiwan and to identify the in vivo efficacy with a Caenorhabditis elegans model.

Identification of Important N-Linked Glycosylation Sites in the Hemagglutinin Protein and Their Functional Impact on DC-SIGN Mediated Avian Influenza H5N1 Infection.

DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin mainly expressed in dendritic cells (DCs), has been reported to mediate several viral infections. We previously reported that DC-SIGN mediated H5N1 influenza A virus (AIVs) infection, however, the important DC-SIGN interaction with N-glycosylation sites remain unknown. This study aims to identify the optimal DC-SIGN interacting N-glycosylation sites in HA proteins of H5N1-AIVs.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluations of β-Lactam/β-Lactamase Mono- and Combined Therapies against Carbapenem-Nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae in Taiwan.

Increasing carbapenem resistance rates worldwide underscored the urgent need of novel antimicrobials. Ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam-avibactam combinations are developed to combat carbapenem resistance, but biological and geographic variations must be considered for antibiotic susceptibility patterns varied. Thus, we sought to assess the susceptibilities of ceftazidime-avibactam and aztreonam-avibactam against 660 carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae isolates (472 and 188 ) collected during an earlier Taiwan surveillance study.

Combination of Colistin and Azidothymidine Demonstrates Synergistic Activity against Colistin-Resistant, Carbapenem-Resistant .

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is listed as an urgent threat by the World Health Organization because of the limited therapeutic options, rapid evolution of resistance mechanisms, and worldwide dissemination. Colistin is a common backbone agent among the "last-resort" antibiotics for CRE; however, its emerging resistance among CRE has taken the present dilemma to the next level. Azidothymidine (AZT), a thymidine analog used to treat human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, has been known to possess antibacterial effects against Enterobacteriaceae.

A Possible Role of Insertion Sequence IS in Dissemination of Multidrug-Resistant Elements MES and MES between and ST59 .

Sequence type 59 (ST59) is the dominant type of community-associated methicillin-resistant (MRSA) in Taiwan. Previously, we reported that ST59 MRSA harbors enterococcal IS-mediated multidrug-resistant composite transposons MES or MES. The MES were found to have a mosaic structure, largely originating in enterococci and partly native to .

Importation of SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to major COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan.

Objective: COVID-19 has recently become a pandemic affecting many countries worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the current status of COVID-19 in Taiwan and analyze the source of infection.

Methods: National data regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection were obtained from Taiwan.