3rd Global Congress on Antibiotics, Antimicrobials & Resistance

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of the joints. RA is a chronic and progressive condition that causes debilitating effects on the patient. The condition is characterized by pain and stiff joints. Another typical feature of this disorder is bone and joint destruction and the presence of autoantibodies in the serum and synovial fluid. Synovial fluid is the fluid that lubricates the synovial joints. What causes rheumatoid arthritis? The exact mechanism by which patients develop RA is unknown; however, a combination of genetic and environmental factors is likely. Autoimmune antibody production is proposed to be the main mechanism responsible for bone and joint destruction, and the related RA pathology. Infections, hormonal alterations, and stress are some potential triggers of RA. Recent research suggests an association between antibiotic use, gut microbiota changes, and RA flares. Antibiotics and the gut microbiota Antibiotics are widely u...

Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers showed that when exposed to repeated cycles of antibiotics, bacteria evolved a new adaptation by remaining dormant for the treatment period. The results show for the first time that bacteria can develop a biological timer to survive under antibiotic exposure. With this new understanding of how bacteria evolve survival strategies, scientists could develop new approaches for slowing the evolution of antibiotic resistance. The ability of microorganisms to overcome antibiotic treatments is one of the top concerns of modern medicine. The effectiveness of many antibiotics has been reduced by bacteria's ability to rapidly evolve and develop strategies to resist antibiotics. Bacteria achieve this by specific mechanisms that are tailored to the molecular structure or function of a particular antibiotic. For example, bacteria would typically develop drug resistance by evolving a mutation that breaks down the drug. Researchers at the Hebrew Uni...

Antibiotics include a vast array of drugs that can kill bacteria or prevent them from multiplying. They are prescribed for numerous conditions arising from bacterial infection and can also be used prophylactically before major surgery or immune suppression. Consequently, antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in healthcare. Although antibiotics play an important role in medical practice, they have been overused in recent years and this has led to many of the bacteria they are designed to destroy becoming resistant to them. Although new antibiotics have been discovered, bacteria are continually mutating and more antibiotic-resistant strains develop. In addition, vast quantities of antibiotics are ending up in the environment via pharmaceutical waste and livestock feed, further increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance. Recently, it was discovered that some antibiotic-resistant bacteria actually ate the antibiotics designed to kill them. The mechanisms ena...