EFFORT - Word Related Documents




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650800.9916Synergizing Ecotoxicology and Microbiome Data Is Key for Developing Global Indicators of Environmental Antimicrobial Resistance. The One Health concept recognises the interconnectedness of humans, plants, animals and the environment. Recent research strongly supports the idea that the environment serves as a significant reservoir for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, the complexity of natural environments makes efforts at AMR public health risk assessment difficult. We lack sufficient data on key ecological parameters that influence AMR, as well as the primary proxies necessary for evaluating risks to human health. Developing environmental AMR 'early warning systems' requires models with well-defined parameters. This is necessary to support the implementation of clear and targeted interventions. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current tools used globally for environmental AMR human health risk assessment and the underlying knowledge gaps. We highlight the urgent need for standardised, cost-effective risk assessment frameworks that are adaptable across different environments and regions to enhance comparability and reliability. These frameworks must also account for previously understudied AMR sources, such as horticulture, and emerging threats like climate change. In addition, integrating traditional ecotoxicology with modern 'omics' approaches will be essential for developing more comprehensive risk models and informing targeted AMR mitigation strategies.202439611949
816210.9914Nanotechnology for Targeted Detection and Removal of Bacteria: Opportunities and Challenges. The emergence of nanotechnology has created unprecedented hopes for addressing several unmet industrial and clinical issues, including the growing threat so-termed "antibiotic resistance" in medicine. Over the last decade, nanotechnologies have demonstrated promising applications in the identification, discrimination, and removal of a wide range of pathogens. Here, recent insights into the field of bacterial nanotechnology are examined that can substantially improve the fundamental understanding of nanoparticle and bacteria interactions. A wide range of developed nanotechnology-based approaches for bacterial detection and removal together with biofilm eradication are summarized. The challenging effects of nanotechnologies on beneficial bacteria in the human body and environment and the mechanisms of bacterial resistance to nanotherapeutics are also reviewed.202134558234
918220.9912Harnessing CRISPR/Cas9 in engineering biotic stress immunity in crops. There is significant potential for CRISPR/Cas9 to be used in developing crops that can adapt to biotic stresses such as fungal, bacterial, viral, and pest infections and weeds. The increasing global population and climate change present significant threats to food security by putting stress on plants, making them more vulnerable to diseases and productivity losses caused by pathogens, pests, and weeds. Traditional breeding methods are inadequate for the rapid development of new plant traits needed to counteract this decline in productivity. However, modern advances in genome-editing technologies, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, have transformed crop protection through precise and targeted modifications of plant genomes. This enables the creation of resilient crops with improved resistance to pathogens, pests, and weeds. This review examines various methods by which CRISPR/Cas9 can be utilized for crop protection. These methods include knocking out susceptibility genes, introducing resistance genes, and modulating defense genes. Potential applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in crop protection involve introducing genes that confer resistance to pathogens, disrupting insect genes responsible for survival and reproduction, and engineering crops that are resistant to herbicides. In conclusion, CRISPR/Cas9 holds great promise for advancing crop protection and ensuring food security in the face of environmental challenges and increasing population pressures. The most recent advancements in CRISPR technology for creating resistance to bacteria, fungi, viruses, and pests are covered here. We wrap up by outlining the most pressing issues and technological shortcomings, as well as unanswered questions for further study.202540663257
644630.9910Ecological consequences of antimicrobial residues and bioactive chemicals on antimicrobial resistance in agroecosystems. BACKGROUND: The widespread use of antimicrobials in agriculture, coupled with bioactive chemicals like pesticides and growth-promoting agents, has accelerated the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Agroecosystems provides a platform in the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which pose significant threats to both environmental and public health. AIM OF REVIEW: This review explores the ecological consequences of antimicrobial residues and bioactive chemicals in agroecosystems, with a focus on their role in shaping AMR. It delves into the mechanisms by which these substances enter agricultural environments, their interactions with soil microbiomes, and the subsequent impacts on microbial community structure. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW: Evidence indicates that the accumulation of antimicrobials promotes resistance gene transfer among microorganisms, potentially compromising ecosystem health and agricultural productivity. By synthesizing current research, we identify critical gaps in knowledge and propose strategies for mitigating the ecological risks associated with antimicrobial residues. Moreover, this review highlights the urgent need for integrated management approaches to preserve ecosystem health and combat the spread of AMR in agricultural settings.202539414225
665440.9909Natural recreational waters and the risk that exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria poses to human health. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is widely recognised as a considerable threat to human health, wellbeing and prosperity. Many clinically important antibiotic resistance genes are understood to have originated in the natural environment. However, the complex interactions between humans, animals and the environment makes the health implications of environmental AMR difficult to quantify. This narrative review focuses on the current state of knowledge regarding antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in natural bathing waters and implications for human health. It considers the latest research focusing on the transmission of ARB from bathing waters to humans. The limitations of existing evidence are discussed, as well as research priorities. The authors are of the opinion that future studies should include faecally contaminated bathing waters and people exposed to these environments to accurately parameterise environment-to-human transmission.202234739925
665350.9909Making waves: How does the emergence of antimicrobial resistance affect policymaking? This article considers current trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research and knowledge gaps relevant to policymaking in the water sector. Specifically, biological indicators of AMR (antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes) and detection methods that have been used so far are identified and discussed, as well as the problems with and solutions to the collection of AMR data, sewage surveillance lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the financial burden caused by AMR, which could be synergically used to improve advocacy on AMR issues in the water sector. Finally, this article proposes solutions to overcoming existing hurdles and shortening the time it will take to have an impact on policymaking and regulation in the sector.202134688095
917360.9908Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution.202337095190
918770.9908Recent advances in gene-editing approaches for tackling antibiotic resistance threats: a review. Antibiotic resistance, a known global health challenge, involves the flow of bacteria and their genes among animals, humans, and their surrounding environment. It occurs when bacteria evolve and become less responsive to the drugs designated to kill them, making infections harder to treat. Despite several obstacles preventing the spread of genes and bacteria, pathogens regularly acquire novel resistance factors from other species, which reduces their ability to prevent and treat such bacterial infections. This issue requires coordinated efforts in healthcare, research, and public awareness to address its impact on human health worldwide. This review outlines how recent advances in gene editing technology, especially CRISPR/Cas9, unveil a breakthrough in combating antibiotic resistance. Our focus will remain on the relationship between CRISPR/cas9 and its impact on antibiotic resistance and its related infections. Moreover, the prospects of this new advanced research and the challenges of adopting these technologies against infections will be outlined by exploring its different derivatives and discussing their advantages and limitations over others, thereby providing a corresponding reference for the control and prevention of the spread of antibiotic resistance.202438994001
917480.9908Developing Phage Therapy That Overcomes the Evolution of Bacterial Resistance. The global rise of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens and the waning efficacy of antibiotics urge consideration of alternative antimicrobial strategies. Phage therapy is a classic approach where bacteriophages (bacteria-specific viruses) are used against bacterial infections, with many recent successes in personalized medicine treatment of intractable infections. However, a perpetual challenge for developing generalized phage therapy is the expectation that viruses will exert selection for target bacteria to deploy defenses against virus attack, causing evolution of phage resistance during patient treatment. Here we review the two main complementary strategies for mitigating bacterial resistance in phage therapy: minimizing the ability for bacterial populations to evolve phage resistance and driving (steering) evolution of phage-resistant bacteria toward clinically favorable outcomes. We discuss future research directions that might further address the phage-resistance problem, to foster widespread development and deployment of therapeutic phage strategies that outsmart evolved bacterial resistance in clinical settings.202337268007
863090.9908Environmental fate and behaviour of antibiotic resistance genes and small interference RNAs released from genetically modified crops. Rising global populations have amplified food scarcity across the world and ushered in the development of genetically modified (GM) crops to overcome these challenges. Cultivation of major crops such as corn and soy has favoured GM crops over conventional varieties to meet crop production and resilience needs. Modern GM crops containing small interference RNA molecules and antibiotic resistance genes have become increasingly common in the United States. However, the use of these crops remains controversial due to the uncertainty regarding the unintended release of its genetic material into the environment and possible downstream effects on human and environmental health. DNA or RNA transgenes may be exuded from crop tissues during cultivation or released during plant decomposition and adsorbed by soil. This can contribute to the persistence and bioavailability in soil or water environment and possible uptake by soil microbial communities and further passing of this information to neighbouring bacteria, disrupting microbial ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and soil fertility. In this review, transgene mechanisms of action, uses in crops, and knowledge regarding their environmental fate and impact to microbes are evaluated. This aims to encapsulate the current knowledge and promote further research regarding unintended effects transgenes may cause.202235892194
8161100.9908Integrative strategies against multidrug-resistant bacteria: Synthesizing novel antimicrobial frontiers for global health. Concerningly, multidrug-resistant bacteria have emerged as a prime worldwide trouble, obstructing the treatment of infectious diseases and causing doubts about the therapeutic accidentalness of presently existing drugs. Novel antimicrobial interventions deserve development as conventional antibiotics are incapable of keeping pace with bacteria evolution. Various promising approaches to combat MDR infections are discussed in this review. Antimicrobial peptides are examined for their broad-spectrum efficacy and reduced ability to develop resistance, while phage therapy may be used under extreme situations when antibiotics fail. In addition, the possibility of CRISPR-Cas systems for specifically targeting and eradicating resistance genes from bacterial populations will be explored. Nanotechnology has opened up the route to improve the delivery system of the drug itself, increasing the efficacy and specificity of antimicrobial action while protecting its host. Discovering potential antimicrobial agents is an exciting prospect through developments in synthetic biology and the rediscovery of natural product-based medicines. Moreover, host-directed therapies are now becoming popular as an adjunct to the main strategies of therapeutics without specifically targeting pathogens. Although these developments appear impressive, questions about production scaling, regulatory approvals, safety, and efficacy for clinical employment still loom large. Thus, tackling the MDR burden requires a multi-pronged plan, integrating newer treatment modalities with existing antibiotic regimens, enforcing robust stewardship initiatives, and effecting policy changes at the global level. The international health community can gird itself against the growing menace of antibiotic resistance if collaboration between interdisciplinary bodies and sustained research endeavours is encouraged. In this study, we evaluate the synergistic potential of combining various medicines in addition to summarizing recent advancements. To rethink antimicrobial stewardship in the future, we provide a multi-tiered paradigm that combines pathogen-focused and host-directed strategies.202540914328
9141110.9908Metallic Nanoparticles-Friends or Foes in the Battle against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria? The rapid spread of antibiotic resistances among bacteria demands novel strategies for infection control, and metallic nanoparticles appear as promising tools because of their unique size and tunable properties that allow their antibacterial effects to be maximized. Furthermore, their diverse mechanisms of action towards multiple cell components have suggested that bacteria could not easily develop resistance against nanoparticles. However, research published over the last decade has proven that bacteria can indeed evolve stable resistance mechanisms upon continuous exposure to metallic nanoparticles. In this review, we summarize the currently known individual and collective strategies employed by bacteria to cope with metallic nanoparticles. Importantly, we also discuss the adverse side effects that bacterial exposure to nanoparticles may have on antibiotic resistance dissemination and that might constitute a challenge for the implementation of nanoparticles as antibacterial agents. Overall, studies discussed in this review point out that careful management of these very promising antimicrobials is necessary to preserve their efficacy for infection control.202133673231
6507120.9908What Are the Drivers Triggering Antimicrobial Resistance Emergence and Spread? Outlook from a One Health Perspective. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a critical global public health threat, exacerbating healthcare burdens and imposing substantial economic costs. Currently, AMR contributes to nearly five million deaths annually worldwide, surpassing mortality rates of any single infectious disease. The economic burden associated with AMR-related disease management is estimated at approximately $730 billion per year. This review synthesizes current research on the mechanisms and multifaceted drivers of AMR development and dissemination through the lens of the One Health framework, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health perspectives. Intrinsic factors, including antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), enable bacteria to evolve adaptive resistance mechanisms such as enzymatic inactivation, efflux pumps, and biofilm formation. Extrinsic drivers span environmental stressors (e.g., antimicrobials, heavy metals, disinfectants), socioeconomic practices, healthcare policies, and climate change, collectively accelerating AMR proliferation. Horizontal gene transfer and ecological pressures further facilitate the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria across ecosystems. The cascading impacts of AMR threaten human health and agricultural productivity, elevate foodborne infection risks, and impose substantial economic burdens, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To address this complex issue, the review advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration, robust policy implementation (e.g., antimicrobial stewardship), and innovative technologies (e.g., genomic surveillance, predictive modeling) under the One Health paradigm. Such integrated strategies are essential to mitigate AMR transmission, safeguard global health, and ensure sustainable development.202540558133
6646130.9907Food animals and antimicrobials: impacts on human health. Antimicrobials are valuable therapeutics whose efficacy is seriously compromised by the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The provision of antibiotics to food animals encompasses a wide variety of nontherapeutic purposes that include growth promotion. The concern over resistance emergence and spread to people by nontherapeutic use of antimicrobials has led to conflicted practices and opinions. Considerable evidence supported the removal of nontherapeutic antimicrobials (NTAs) in Europe, based on the "precautionary principle." Still, concrete scientific evidence of the favorable versus unfavorable consequences of NTAs is not clear to all stakeholders. Substantial data show elevated antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with animals fed NTAs and their food products. This resistance spreads to other animals and humans-directly by contact and indirectly via the food chain, water, air, and manured and sludge-fertilized soils. Modern genetic techniques are making advances in deciphering the ecological impact of NTAs, but modeling efforts are thwarted by deficits in key knowledge of microbial and antibiotic loads at each stage of the transmission chain. Still, the substantial and expanding volume of evidence reporting animal-to-human spread of resistant bacteria, including that arising from use of NTAs, supports eliminating NTA use in order to reduce the growing environmental load of resistance genes.201121976606
6443140.9907Understanding bacterial ecology to combat antibiotic resistance dissemination. The dissemination of antibiotic resistance from environmental sources is a growing concern. Despite the widespread occurrence of antibiotic resistance transmission events, there are actually multiple obstacles in the ecosystem that restrict the flow of bacteria and genes, in particular nonnegligible biological barriers. How these ecological factors help combat the dissemination of antibiotic resistance and relevant antibiotic resistance-diminishing organisms (ARDOs) deserves further exploration. This review summarizes the factors that influence the growth, metabolism, and environmental adaptation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and restrict the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Additionally, this review discusses the achievements in the application of ARDOs to improve biotechnology for wastewater and solid waste remediation while highlighting current challenges limiting their broader implementation.202539855970
8163150.9907Green materials science and engineering reduces biofouling: approaches for medical and membrane-based technologies. Numerous engineered and natural environments suffer deleterious effects from biofouling and/or biofilm formation. For instance, bacterial contamination on biomedical devices pose serious health concerns. In membrane-based technologies, such as desalination and wastewater reuse, biofouling decreases membrane lifetime, and increases the energy required to produce clean water. Traditionally, approaches have combatted bacteria using bactericidal agents. However, due to globalization, a decline in antibiotic discovery, and the widespread resistance of microbes to many commercial antibiotics and metallic nanoparticles, new materials, and approaches to reduce biofilm formation are needed. In this mini-review, we cover the recent strategies that have been explored to combat microbial contamination without exerting evolutionary pressure on microorganisms. Renewable feedstocks, relying on structure-property relationships, bioinspired/nature-derived compounds, and green processing methods are discussed. Greener strategies that mitigate biofouling hold great potential to positively impact human health and safety.201525852659
8627160.9907Antibiotic residues in environment: antimicrobial resistance development, ecological risks, and bioremediation. The overuse of antibiotics and their disposal without processing are leading the environment and its inhabitants towards a serious health emergency. There is abundance of diverse antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria in environment, which demands immediate attention for the effective removal of antibiotics. There are physical and chemical methods for removal, but the generation of toxic byproducts has directed the efforts towards bioremediation for eco-friendly and sustainable elimination of antibiotics from the environment. Various effective and reliable bioremediation approaches have been used, but still antibiotic residues pose a major global threat. Recent developments in molecular and synthetic biology might offer better solution for engineering of microbe-metabolite biodevices and development of novel strains endowed with desirable properties. This review summarizes the impact of antibiotics on environment, mechanisms of resistance development, and different bioremediation approaches.202234773239
6457170.9907Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance in Agroecosystems: State of the Science. We propose a simple causal model depicting relationships involved in dissemination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in agroecosystems and potential effects on human health, functioning of natural ecosystems, and agricultural productivity. Available evidence for each causal link is briefly summarized, and key knowledge gaps are highlighted. A lack of quantitative estimates of human exposure to environmental bacteria, in general, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, specifically, is a significant data gap hindering the assessment of effects on human health. The contribution of horizontal gene transfer to resistance in the environment and conditions that might foster the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes into human pathogens also need further research. Existing research has focused heavily on human health effects, with relatively little known about the effects of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance on natural and agricultural ecosystems. The proposed causal model is used to elucidate gaps in knowledge that must be addressed by the research community and may provide a useful starting point for the design and analysis of future research efforts.201627065386
9172180.9906These Are the Genes You're Looking For: Finding Host Resistance Genes. Humanity's ongoing struggle with new, re-emerging and endemic infectious diseases serves as a frequent reminder of the need to understand host-pathogen interactions. Recent advances in genomics have dramatically advanced our understanding of how genetics contributes to host resistance or susceptibility to bacterial infection. Here we discuss current trends in defining host-bacterial interactions at the genome-wide level, including screens that harness CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, natural genetic variation, proteomics, and transcriptomics. We report on the merits, limitations, and findings of these innovative screens and discuss their complementary nature. Finally, we speculate on future innovation as we continue to progress through the postgenomic era and towards deeper mechanistic insight and clinical applications.202133004258
6403190.9906Fate and transport modelling for evaluating antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments: Current knowledge and research priorities. Antibiotics have revolutionised medicine in the last century and enabled the prevention of bacterial infections that were previously deemed untreatable. However, in parallel, bacteria have increasingly developed resistance to antibiotics through various mechanisms. When resistant bacteria find their way into terrestrial and aquatic environments, animal and human exposures increase, e.g., via polluted soil, food, and water, and health risks multiply. Understanding the fate and transport of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and the transfer mechanisms of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic environments is critical for evaluating and mitigating the risks of resistant-induced infections. The conceptual understanding of sources and pathways of antibiotics, ARB, and ARGs from society to the water environments is essential for setting the scene and developing an appropriate framework for modelling. Various factors and processes associated with hydrology, ecology, and climate change can significantly affect the fate and transport of ARB and ARGs in natural environments. This article reviews current knowledge, research gaps, and priorities for developing water quality models to assess the fate and transport of ARB and ARGs. The paper also provides inputs on future research needs, especially the need for new predictive models to guide risk assessment on AR transmission and spread in aquatic environments.202437788551