Tag Archives: Strains

Nasal Drops: A Potential Solution for Preventing All Strains of Influenza

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Nasal Sprays Target the Main Entry Point of the Influenza Virus

Tatyana Maksimova/Getty Images

Recent research highlights a novel antibody nasal spray that showed promise in early trials with mice, monkeys, and humans for preventing influenza infections. This spray can neutralize various strains of influenza viruses, including those transmitted from animals, potentially aiding in the fight against future pandemics.

The primary method of combating the spread of influenza remains the annual vaccine, designed to stimulate the immune system to produce targeted antibodies against circulating virus strains. However, due to the constant mutations of influenza viruses, vaccines can only offer limited protection.

To enhance vaccine efficacy, pharmaceutical innovator Johnson & Johnson has developed a groundbreaking antibody, CR9114, capable of neutralizing diverse influenza strains. This antibody recognizes and binds to invariant components of the virus, allowing for consistent defense against mutations.

Initially, CR9114 was injected into animals, but it didn’t provide adequate protection due to insufficient concentrations reaching the nasal cavity—the virus’s primary point of entry. In 2022, the Leiden Institute licensed CR9114, creating a formulation suitable for nasal administration.

Subsequent studies demonstrated that administering CR9114 via nasal spray to mice and macaque monkeys shielded them from various influenza A and B strains, including one isolated during the 1933 flu outbreak.

In addition, preliminary tests involving 143 individuals aged 18 to 55 revealed that using the nasal spray twice daily maintained steady antibody levels in their nasal passages, showing no significant side effects. Mucus samples collected afterward successfully neutralized different strains of influenza, including the avian flu strain that affected humans in China in 2013.

The next phase of research will expose nasal spray users to live influenza viruses to determine its actual effectiveness in preventing illness.

While nasal sprays may not guarantee 100% effectiveness against all entry routes of the virus, they remain a crucial defense mechanism against influenza. According to Linda Wakim from the University of Melbourne, “Even if you block entry through the nose, you’ll still be eliminating the virus at its main access point for infection.”

Wakim also notes that while the nasal spray may require more frequent dosing than a standard flu shot, it could significantly benefit high-risk populations, such as immunocompromised individuals and frontline health workers, especially during pandemics when rapid public health responses are essential.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New research shows early humans carried two distinct strains of Helicobacter bacteria

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Two ecological species Helicobacter pylori. The bacteria, named ‘Hardy’ and ‘Ubiquitous’, coexisted in the stomachs of modern humans before they left Africa, and were dispersed around the world as humans migrated, new research shows. Ta.

Tourette’s others. They discovered that indigenous peoples in Siberia and the Americas were infected with two different types of viruses. Helicobacter pylori. Image credit: sjs.org / CC BY-SA 3.0.

First discovered in 1983, Helicobacter pylori. During long-term colonization of human hosts, it disturbs the stomach lining and causes sequelae such as ulcers and gastric cancer.

Numerous Helicobacter pylori. Virulence factors have been identified and show wide geographic variation.

In the new study, Dr. Elise Tourette and colleagues at the Shanghai Institute of Immunology and Infection used an unprecedented collection of 6,864 individuals. Helicobacter pylori. Genomes from around the world to investigate the prevalence of bacteria.

They unexpectedly discovered a very distinct variant. Helicobacter pylori. They named it the Hardy species, which originated hundreds of thousands of years ago and spread around the world with humans.

They proposed that this species is specialized to live in the stomachs of carnivores whose diet consists mainly of meat and fish.

Therefore, genetic variations found in the bacteria in our stomachs today can tell us what our ancestors ate.

“Our diverse global sample has allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of world history. Helicobacter. This confirmed previous findings that these bacteria were already passengers in our stomachs when we left Africa more than 50,000 years ago,” said Dr. Tourette. .

“But we also identified something surprising, in the form of a new ecological species. Helicobacter. We called it Hardy.”

“It differs by more than 100 genes from the common type we called ubiquitous.”

“Hardy’s ecospecies turned out to be very informative about what bacteria need to do to survive in our stomachs, but more fundamentally, bacterial diversity How it was maintained also turned out to be very informative.”

“Most humans alive today are omnivores or vegetarians, meaning a significant portion of our diet consists of plant material,” said Dr. Daniel Farash, also of the Shanghai Institute of Immunology and Infection. said.

“However, in some parts of the world, plant material was historically unavailable for large parts of the year, and people relied heavily on fish and meat for food.”

“So far, the Hardy ecospecies has only been identified in humans from indigenous populations such as Siberia and northern Canada.”

“Due to ancient host jumps, this virus has also been found in tigers and cheetahs in zoos, with important genetic differences that allow it to adapt to gastric conditions in carnivores.”

“This association is particularly interesting because our analysis also suggests that both ecological species have accompanied humans since our species’ emergence in Africa more than 200,000 years ago.” Because there is.”

“If this species is indeed adapted to being a carnivore, it means that humans who spread around the world often did not eat plants, even if plants were available. .”

By analyzing Helicobacter pylori. By analyzing genomes from around the world, researchers discovered that the first modern humans were infected with two different types of bacteria: M. hardyi and M. ubiquitous.

Both species spread from Africa during early human migrations, reaching as far as South America.

The ubiquitous ecospecies has been found in every human population sampled to date, whereas the Hardy ecospecies has only been sampled from a small number of indigenous populations and may have become extinct at many points along its migratory routes. It suggests that.

However, one strain of the African Hardy strain has shifted hosts to big cats and has been isolated from cheetahs, lions, and tigers in zoos.

Understanding why these species can coexist in some populations but not in others will help us understand the profound implications of our prehistory and the gastric diseases we still suffer from today. It is hoped that this will shed light on the burden.

“Our results also show that very different adaptive strategies can arise and be stably maintained within bacterial populations, even in the presence of continuous genetic exchange between strains.” said the scientists.

of findings. Published in a magazine nature.

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E.Tourette others. ancient ecological species Helicobacter pylori. naturepublished online October 16, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07991-z

Source: www.sci.news

Mutated, Genetically Unique Strains of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Found on the ISS by Biologists

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Enterobacter bugandensis It is mainly present in clinical specimens such as the human gastrointestinal tract.

Example workflow illustrating the process of comparative genomics analysis Enterobacter bugandensis, its prevalence and metabolic interactions within the microbial community, and assess its adaptation success within the ISS habitat. Image credit: Sengupta other., doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a testament to humanity's achievements in space exploration.

Despite a highly controlled environment characterized by microgravity, increased carbon dioxide levels, and increased solar radiation, microorganisms occupy a unique niche.

These resident microbial bacteria play an important role in influencing the health and well-being of astronauts.

One particularly interesting microorganism is the Enterobacter bugandensis, a Gram-negative bacterium notorious for its multidrug resistance.

“Microorganisms in the built environment have a significant impact on the health of residents,” says the lead author Dr. Kastri Venkateswaran by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and colleagues.

“The ISS is a highly controlled built environment with extreme conditions such as microgravity, solar radiation, and elevated carbon dioxide levels, providing a unique location to study microbial survival and adaptation. .”

“Recent studies have demonstrated that microorganisms exposed to microgravity acquire antibiotic resistance and become more virulent through rapid mutation and horizontal gene transfer.”

“Prolonged space travel in microgravity can compromise astronauts' immune systems and increase their vulnerability to disease.”

“The microbial population on the ISS can influence the astronauts' microbiome and could be replenished by the arrival of new crew members.”

“Understanding microbial colonization, inheritance, and interactions is therefore critical to ensuring the health of astronauts and managing microbial risks in isolated and confined human habitats.”

In the new study, the authors analyzed 13 bacterial strains. Enterobacter bugandensis It is isolated from the ISS.

Their results show that under stress these strains mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct compared to their terrestrial counterparts.

These strains were able to persist in large numbers on the ISS for long periods of time.

They coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases may have helped those microorganisms survive.

“Our comprehensive analysis reveals not only how these interactions shape microbial diversity, but also the factors that may contribute to the potential dominance and inheritance of microorganisms. Ta. Enterobacter bugandensis within the ISS environment,” the researchers said.

“The implications of these findings are twofold,” they added.

“First, we shed light on the behavior, adaptation, and evolution of microorganisms in extreme and isolated environments.”

“Second, it highlights the need for strong precautions to ensure the health and safety of astronauts by mitigating risks associated with potential pathogen threats.”

of findings appear in the diary microbiome.

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P. Sengupta other. 2024. Genomic, functional, and metabolic enrichment in multidrug-resistant patients. Enterobacter bugandensis Facilitate survival and succession on the International Space Station. microbiome 12, 62; doi: 10.1186/s40168-024-01777-1

Source: www.sci.news