Podcasts about mycobacteria

In our recent podcast episode with Dr. Petra Cerna, an expert on feline mycobacteria, we delved into various aspects of this intriguing topic. Dr. Cerna, who trained under Dr. Susan Little, shared her profound motto: persist. We explored regional concerns such as mycobacterium avium in the US and mycobacterium bovis in the UK, where deer and rodents serve as reservoirs. Our discussion covered key points on diagnosis and therapeutic approaches for managing these infections in feline populations.

What are WHO's most wanted bacterial pathogens in 2024? Hosts Angela Huttner & Oana Sandulescu welcome guests Dr. Hatim Sati of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Dr. Erin Duffy (CARB-X) to discuss WHO's new Priority Pathogens List. Developed by WHO and a panel of global experts, the List identifies the ‘top' bacteria for which research & development are of critical, high, and medium priority, and thus serves as a framework for resource allocation and public-policy guidance. Episode peer-reviewed by Dr. Galadriel Pellejero of Lozano Blesa Clinical Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain. Literature:WHO bacterial priority pathogens list, 2024: Bacterial pathogens of public health importance to guide research, development and strategies to prevent and control antimicrobial resistance.https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240093461

In this podcast, I talk about how the disease tuberculosis, can be caused by a number of different Mycobacterial species, and how diagnosing the right one is vital to get the right treatment. All my posts have links to online resources that you might find useful, and you can find the link to this particular blog here⁠⁠.

Dr. Carlos Mejia-Chew, an assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Disease at Washington University in St. Louis, and Sarah Gregory discuss spatial distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria infections and risk factors in Missouri.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.04.24.538041v1?rss=1 Authors: Franzkoch, R., Anand, A., Breitsprecher, L., Psathaki, O. E., Barisch, C. Abstract: The infection course of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is highly dynamic and comprises sequential stages that require damaging and crossing of several membranes to enable the translocation of the bacteria into the cytosol or their escape from the host. Many important breakthroughs such as the restriction of vacuolar and cytosolic mycobacteria by the autophagy pathway and the recruitment of sophisticated host repair machineries to the Mycobacterium-containing vacuole have been gained in the Dictyostelium discoideum/M. marinum system. Despite the availability of well-established light and advanced electron microscopy techniques in this system, a correlative approach that integrates both methodologies with almost native ultrastructural preservation is still lacking at the moment. This is most likely due to the low ability of D. discoideum to adhere to surfaces, which results in cell loss even after fixation. To address this problem, we improved the adhesion of cells and developed a straightforward and convenient workflow for 3D-correlative light and electron microscopy. This approach includes high-pressure freezing, which is an excellent technique for preserving membranes. Thus, our method allows to monitor the ultrastructural aspects of vacuole escape which is of central importance for the survival and dissemination of bacterial pathogens. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.04.17.537276v1?rss=1 Authors: Anand, A., Mazur, A.-C., Rosell-Arevalo, P., Franzkoch, R., Breitsprecher, L., Listian, S. A., Hüttel, S. V., Müller, D., Schäfer, D. G., Vormittag, S., Hilbi, H., Maniak, M., Gutierrez, M., Barisch, C. Abstract: Several intracellular pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, damage endomembranes to access the cytosol and subvert innate immune responses. The host counteracts endomembrane damage by recruiting repair machineries that retain the pathogen inside the vacuole. Here, we show that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi protein oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) and its Dictyostelium discoideum homologue OSBP8 are recruited to the Mycobacterium-containing vacuole (MCV) after ESX-1-dependent membrane damage. Lack of OSBP8 causes a hyperaccumulation of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) on the MCV and decreased cell viability. OSBP8-depleted cells had reduced lysosomal and degradative capabilities of their vacuoles that favoured mycobacterial growth. In agreement with a function of OSBP8 in membrane repair, human macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis recruited OSBP in an ESX-1 dependent manner. These findings identified an ER-dependent repair mechanism for restoring MCVs in which OSBP8 functions to equilibrate PI4P levels on damaged membranes. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info Podcast created by Paper Player, LLC

In this podcast episode, Orthodontic Products Chief Editor Alison Werner talks to infection prevention expert and consultant Jackie Dorst about why orthodontic practices need to pay attention to this alert. As she puts it, this CDC Health Advisory Alert is likely to be picked up by the media—which means parents and patients could soon be asking you: Is the water in your practice safe? Dorst first explains nontuberculous Mycobacteria infections and the risks and complications that can occur for patients who contract these infections. She then breaks down the proper maintenance and monitoring protocol for dental unit waterlines in the orthodontic practice. Dorst points out that proper maintenance and monitoring of dental unit waterlines can be complex. To help orthodontic staff navigate this, she identifies a number of resources that can help.

Bacteriophages – viruses that kill bacteria–were successfully used for the first time to treat an antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus lung infection to allow a cystic fibrosis patient to receive a life-saving lung transplant. Joining me today to share this amazing story is Jerry Nick, MD, Dr. Nick is director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program at National Jewish Health in Denver and the lead author of the case study published in the journal Cell.

These podcasts are linked to my blog Notes from a small scientist. In this episode, to celebrate World TB Day on the 24th March, I discuss the disease tuberculosis and the bacteria that causes it, Mycobacteria tuberculosis. I explain why TB is so hard to treat, why it's such a pain to work with and why we still haven't got rid of it yet! But don't worry, there's always hope for the future in the shape of research! All my posts have links to online resources that you might find useful, and you can find the link to this particular post here.

Visit https://thermofisher.com/bctl to register for your free Bringing Chemistry to Life T-shirt and https://www.alfa.com/en/chemistry-podcasts/ to access our episode summary sheet, which contains links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest.Sometimes you feel like you missed an opportunity, or didn't make the best out of it, or sometimes you feel like life is unfair and doesn't offer any attractive chance. Then you hear stories like Mireille Kamariza's and your perspective changes.This is classic Bringing Chemistry to Life episode, where an incredible personal story is intertwined with great science. Dr. Mireille Kamariza, junior fellow at the Society of Fellows at Harvard University, is driven by her personal experience growing up in war-torn Burundi. She was given the opportunity to move to and study in the U.S., rose to the challenge becoming an expert in biorthogonal chemistry and developed a technology for a highly reliable, yet simple and affordable, detection method for tuberculosis. Now Mireille, nominated as one of Fortune Magazine's most powerful women, wants to give back and aims at addressing the TB global health crisis thanks to her technology.While listening to Mireille's personal story alone is well worth your time, make no mistake, there is great chemistry here. Another brilliant example of chemistry at the interface with biology, where some of the most exciting results in modern science come from.

00:00 - Start, why are we doing a fundraiser? 01:58 - Trestolone 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone (MENT), activation of the androgen receptor, adding a methyl group to a steroid makes it risky 04:46 - What would Ray do if he had Crohn's disease? Mycobacteria, supplementing with cellulose 09:56 - Cortisol blockers for weight loss? Progesterone, thyroid 10:38 - Do you want to increase ceruloplasmin? Copper toxicity 12:55 - Does nitric oxide work like viagra? 14:36 - Lactose-free milk and is aspirin safe to take every day? 15:43 - Low sperm count, varicocele, aspirin, progesterone, thyroid, testosterone, estrogen 18:14 - Ray's thoughts on ivermectin, vitamin D, coronavirus 22:46 - Hypothyroidism in children? 24:53 - Can thyroid hormone lower the temperature? 28:20 - Why are people getting flu and cold symptoms right now? 30:03 - Is vaccination a tradeoff? 32:19 - What steroids would be useful for building big muscles? Testosterone, estrogen, DHEA, 'thyroid is the basic anabolic hormone' 36:52 - Sleep apnea, CPAP, CO2, hypothyroidism, progesterone, acetazolamide 40:26 - Diabetic pain in the feet, T4 only therapy, thyroid gland removal, armour, cynoplus, cynomel 43:02 - Progest-E by Kenogen, email Katherine at kenogen@gmail.com, progesterone as a basic stabilizing factor 44:58 - Ray's thoughts on ethically composing a "cosmic diet" 46:25 - Benign tumor metabolism, progesterone, fibrosis, estrogen, nitric oxide 48:38 - Gynecomastia, vitamin D, progesterone, thyroid, aspirin 49:25 - When did the U.S. transform into an empire? 52:26 - Inability to ejaculate and get an erection, getting blood tests, low heart rate, hypothyroidism 54:49 - Herbs for DHT production? 55:29 - Can T3 harm the thyroid gland if used chronically? 58:17 - Pregnenolone, adrenal suppression, progesterone, stress 01:02:29 - Increasing libido and energy in a young woman after childbirth, vitamin D, calcium, thyroid 01:03:31 - How to reverse the aging process? CO2 as a cardinal adsorbent, flavanoids, fisetin 01:11:26 - Raising levels of the ACE2 enzyme for health, anti-viral effects of progesterone 01:14:06 - Getting rid of acne scars 01:15:12 - Taking thyroid but the morning temperature isn't increasing 01:16:01 - Diabetes, swollen purple legs, and significant edema, vitamin D, calcium, progesterone, thyroid, a lower-fat diet 01:17:27 - Best things to increase mitochondrial function, CO2, angiotensin inhibitors 01:18:17 - Correcting a thyroid nodule, TSH 01:19:03 - Excess saliva 01:19:35 - 16-year old breast cancer, estrogen, progesterone, aspirin, thyroid 01:20:18 - T3 and body odor, sulfur soap 01:21:09 - Nicotine as a prometabolic substance? 01:22:49 - How to lengthen the luteal phase? 01:23:45 - A daily progesterone amount for men? 01:25:20 - Is the Herxheimer reaction real? Harry Rubin's findings about cancer treatment 01:29:15 - A bioenergetic view of THC and CBD? 01:31:10 - Ray's essential 'prepper' food items 01:34:16 - Lump in the throat from cynoplus and cynomel, how much is too much with T3? Does Ray chew the cynoplus/cynomel? 01:36:16 - Varicose veins from progesterone or pregnenolone? What's a big dose of progesterone? 01:39:16 - What does Ray think of the croissant diet? 01:40:29 - What amount of alcohol is enough for lipofuscin? 01:41:18 - How to restore the outer layer of the adrenal gland? 01:42:12 - Can the temperature and pulse be maintained by stress? How long does it take to adapt to a thyroid supplement? 01:45:19 - What is Ray working on right now? 01:46:45 - Magnetofection? 01:48:04 - How to use progesterone to post-pone menopause? 01:49:36 - Benefits of allopregnanolone? 01:49:51 - Very dry palms, hypothyroidism, sebum, sweat 01:50:31 - How to tell if sugar is converting into CO2 or lactic acid? 01:50:59 - 1000 calories for weight loss? RU486 cortisol blocker, how many calories to eat? 01:53:44 - Kids dying as the result of vaccination

In this episode, Dr. Kimothy Smith and Christian Railsback discuss non-tuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) and how it differs from a gram-negative bacterium, like Pseudomonas.  Cell structure, metabolic Mycobacterium avium performance, exploiting biofilms, and culturable but non-viable cells are among the high points on the pathogen odyssey today. A transcript of the conversation appears below. More about Mycobacterium: CDC's Opportunistic Pathogens of Premise Plumbing list Mycobacteria MLST Scheme — Typing; Isolate and Genome Collections The 2015 Study — Epidemiology and Ecology of Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens: Legionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium avium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Stay tuned for more episodes, posting on the first Thursday of each month. Subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts and find more info at weebeastiespodcast.com The Wee Beasties podcast is a production of Nephros, Inc., a leading water technology company providing filtration and pathogen detection solutions to the medical and commercial markets. *** SHOW TRANSCRIPT: Christian:  I am back with Dr. Kimothy Smith. Kimothy, welcome back! Kimothy:  Thanks, Christian. Christian:  So, what's our bug for today? Kimothy:  Non-tuberculosis mycobacterium. (NTM) Christian:  Okay, NTM. What is NTM? Kimothy:  NTM actually includes 125 different species of mycobacteria. Essentially all of the mycobacteria that do not cause tuberculosis or leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease are included in the NTMs. Christian:  Interesting, so it seems like there could be a lot of ground to cover here.  Are there certain types of this mycobacteria that are more likely to exist in potable water and cause infections? Kimothy:  Yes, it's actually very complex and more than we can cover in this podcast. But, we can get a start and a little bit of a taste, so to speak, for NTM. In NTM's, the one most likely to cause a health issue in water is called Mycobacterium avium — it is actually a complex, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC).  It can be found in fresh and saltwater, as well as in soil or dust, too. Like Pseudomonas, these are biofilm producers, and they use this as a niche to colonize. Particularly because they can take advantage of protozoa and amoebae that are motile. MAC behave as intercellular parasites and use them to colonize. Christian:  And at the cellular level, what kinds of characteristics stand out? Kimothy:  Well, different from our last bug, Pseudomonas, MAC is a gram-positive bacterium and non-motile.  But it is rod-shaped, like Pseudomonas was. Perhaps one of the most notable features at the cellular level is its slow growth rate and slow cellular metabolism. Where some bacteria might reproduce every 20 minutes, the mycobacteriums are usually measured in hours, and sometimes even a day or more, for them to reproduce. So, this is really slow. This is noteworthy because it allows the bacterium to gradually uptake and process any antibiotics and disinfectants in its habitat, resulting in the bug being very resilient in an environment treated with antimicrobial agents.  It also produces mycolic acids that coat the cell surface in a kind of wax, increasing its cellular defense – antibiotics and disinfectants can't penetrate it as easily. Christian: It sounds like it's a pretty difficult bacteria to kill. Would one be able to use chloramine or superheating to address NTM in their water supply? Kimothy:  Many remediation methods are not effective in removing NTM from building plumbing.  In fact, some remediation methods may remove competing microbes and result in increased concentrations of NTM in the water. So they take advantage of the depression of the other bacteria in the community and they fill that void. Still, other methods such as treating water with chlorine or chloramine are ineffective, too.    Christian:  The bug has a waxy protective coating, a slow metabolic engine that allows it to resist antibiotics, and it's really tolerant to chlorine and chloramine treatments.  This is an impressive set of defenses.  Is there anything else? Kimothy:  Well, two more things, actually. Remember that I mentioned MAC produces mycolic acid as an additional protective barrier on its cell membrane? Well, that is also an essential component to the formation of biofilms, which it uses to both protect itself and enhance colonization and translocation, so when pieces of the biofilm break off. Lastly, MAC is sometimes not easy to culture because the cells enter a state of VBNC, or Viable but Non-Culturable.  This is usually because several treatment modalities have been used in the water or nutrients are in short supply, so the cell operates in a dormant, but a still viable condition. This is one of those worst-case scenarios because when you send samples to a lab to be cultured there is no indication pathogens are in your premise plumbing. So, yes, this is a really complex bug to get rid of – it has a tough cell membrane, it hides in biofilms, it can resist anti-biotics, it can survive chloramine and chlorine treatments, and it can remain undetectable in VBNC state. Christian:  Wow, okay. How does one become infected with NTM and what are the consequences of becoming infected? Kimothy:  MAC enters the body when individuals inhale or swallow the bacteria, say through a water source, so this could be a shower, steam rising, or drinking water. But most people, however, will not become ill or acquire an infection if they have healthy immune systems.  Those at greatest risk for infection are individuals with compromised immune systems. Mostly, patients acquire progressive respiratory distress that eventually leads to an acute pulmonary infection.  People with HIV/AIDS for example, or COPD or emphysema patients; very young or very old; cancer and organ transplant patients are most susceptible. Patients who are infected are not thought to be contagious at all, you can't pass this infection by touching or being within proximity of an infected person.  Although the lungs are the most likely organ system to be affected, MAC can also affect the integumentary and lymphatic systems, resulting in lesions and inflammation. Christian:  Fascinating stuff, Kimothy.  Well, is there anything else before we close today? Kimothy:  I'd just like to point out some resources, in case individuals are interested in learning more.  The CDC's Opportunistic Pathogens of Premise Plumbing list was the inspiration for our molecular assays at Nephros.  I recommend people start there if they are wanting to know more. Christian:  Well, again, thanks so much! This is always a pleasure. Kimothy:  Likewise, Christian.

Dr. Anthony Cannella, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the USF Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, reviews Non-tuberculosis Mycobacteria, with a focus on Mycobacterium abscessus spp. Dr. Cannella begins his presentation by reviewing the microbiology and epidemiology of M. abscessus and their spectrum of disease. He then transitions to discussing the pathophysiology of how these infections occur as well as the pharmacologic options available for treating them. He closes by presenting the research implications of M. abscessus infections from the perspective of the immunological response and pharmacotherapeutic options.

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.30.362764v1?rss=1 Authors: Dasgupta, R., Pradhan, A. K., Ghosh, S. Abstract: Mycobacterium are a genus of Actinobacteria known to be responsible for several deadly diseases in both humans and animals, including tuberculosis. Luciferase is the primary protein in Mycobacteria that plays a role in bioluminescence. It also plays a role in some bacteria of being a source of energy transference, such as in the case of lumazine proteins. Although studies have been conducted in different luciferase in bacteria, there has been hardly any structural studies on luciferase expressed in Mycobacterium sp. EPa45. Therefore, in this paper we have studied luciferase expressed in Mycobacterium sp. EPa45 by insilico analysis of its structure from its protein sequence. We report the observed differences within luciferase reported from other strains of mycobacterium and pathogenic and non-pathogenic forms of bacteria in terms of their (i) physiochemical characteristics, (ii) protein structure, (iii) multiple sequence alignment and (iv) phylogenetic relationships. We report for the first time the relation of this specific strain of Luciferase in mycobacterium and bacterium at large. Highlights: 1. Mycobacterium sp. EPa45 shows similar characteristics to pathogenic mycobacterium 2. Analysis of Luciferase sequence and protein qualities provides insight to pathogenicity 3. The deadly nature of infectious mycobacterium, especially with luciferase sequences similar to Mycobacterium sp. EPa45, is analyzed Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

Mycobacteria - Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacteria - Mycobacterium leprae

CME credits: 0.50 Valid until: 25-12-2020 Claim your CME credit at https://reachmd.com/programs/cme/clinical-exchanges-optimizing-management-of-nontuberculous-mycobacteria-lung-disease/11060/ The successful management of nontuberculous mycobacteria lung disease (NTM-LD) remains challenging owing to the need for long-term treatment, the ongoing risks of adverse drug reactions, and the potential for nonadherence. These factors underscore the importance of specialty referral and shared decision making in the successful management of NTM-LD, as Dr. Anne O’Donnell and her patient Brinkley exemplify.

CME credits: 0.50 Valid until: 25-12-2020 Claim your CME credit at https://reachmd.com/programs/cme/clinical-reflections-reflecting-missed-opportunities-nontuberculous-mycobacteria-lung-disease/11059/ Nontuberculous mycobacteria lung disease (NTM-LD) is a relatively uncommon condition, although its prevalence is rising. In this interactive CME activity, Drs. Anne O’Donnell and Patrick Flume review two patient cases to demonstrate how clinicians can maintain a greater index of suspicion for the diagnosis of NTM-LD to enable timely and effective therapy. The management of NTM-LD remains challenging, owing to the need for long-term treatment, the potential for drug-related toxicities and patient nonadherence. These factors underscore the importance of specialty referral for the successful management of NTM-LD.

CME credits: 0.50 Valid until: 25-12-2020 Claim your CME credit at https://reachmd.com/programs/cme/clinical-reflections-reflecting-missed-opportunities-nontuberculous-mycobacteria-lung-disease/11059/ Nontuberculous mycobacteria lung disease (NTM-LD) is a relatively uncommon condition, although its prevalence is rising. In this interactive CME activity, Drs. Anne O’Donnell and Patrick Flume review two patient cases to demonstrate how clinicians can maintain a greater index of suspicion for the diagnosis of NTM-LD to enable timely and effective therapy. The management of NTM-LD remains challenging, owing to the need for long-term treatment, the potential for drug-related toxicities and patient nonadherence. These factors underscore the importance of specialty referral for the successful management of NTM-LD.

CME credits: 0.50 Valid until: 25-12-2020 Claim your CME credit at https://reachmd.com/programs/cme/clinical-exchanges-optimizing-management-of-nontuberculous-mycobacteria-lung-disease/11060/ The successful management of nontuberculous mycobacteria lung disease (NTM-LD) remains challenging owing to the need for long-term treatment, the ongoing risks of adverse drug reactions, and the potential for nonadherence. These factors underscore the importance of specialty referral and shared decision making in the successful management of NTM-LD, as Dr. Anne O’Donnell and her patient Brinkley exemplify.

As part of the July issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Deputy Chief Editor James Chalmers interviews Michael Loebinger (Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College London, UK) and Jakko van Ingen (Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands) about five articles on the subject on nontuberculous mycobacteria published in this issue.

As part of the July issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Deputy Chief Editor James Chalmers interviews Michael Loebinger (Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College London, UK) and Jakko van Ingen (Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands) about five articles on the subject on nontuberculous mycobacteria published in this issue.

Dr. Sandin provides a general overview of identification techniques for Mycobacterial organisms. He discusses and outlines classification systems for the Mycobacteria that are human pathogens. He then discusses laboratory stains that are useful in identifying Mycobacteria and reviews other diagnostic methods which have become essential to Mycobacterial species identification, including the various nucleic amplification-based methods. Various pathology pearls of Mycobacterial identification are also mentioned. Lastly, he discusses two clinical cases involving acid fast organisms.

Bill Jacobs talks about developing mycobacterial genetic tools and using them to discover ways to shorten TB treatment. He also talks about the SEA-PHAGES program that allows high-school students to participate in phage discovery. Host: Julie Wolf Subscribe (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the ASM Podcast app. Julie's biggest takeaways: The challenges of working with an easily aerosolized bacterium are aided by complementary studies on a noninfectious relative. M. smegmatus doesn’t colonize mammals and grows slower, giving researchers the opportunity to acclimate themselves to working with mycobacterial cultures. Jacobs was the first scientist to introduce DNA into M. tuberculosis using a phasmid - part plasmid, part mycobacterial phage. The first phage came from Jacobs’ dirt yard in the Bronx, so he named it BxB1 for the Bronx Bomber. Another phage, TM4, became the workhorse phasmid when Jacobs cloned an E. coli cosmid sequence into a nonessential part of the phage genome. It replicates in E. coli as a plasmid but becomes a phage inside Mycobacteria, facilitating manipulation. The shuttle phasmids allowed transposon delivery to make transposon libraries, and the creation of gene knockouts. To this day, we use Ziehl-Neelsen staining to differentiate acid-fast mycobacteria from gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria - the mycolic acids on the outer part of the envelope make up some of the longest microbial lipid chains. But mycobacteria can regulate its acid-fast positive or negative status; the acid-fast negative organisms are a persistent population that are often ignored inside of patients. 99.99% of M. tuberculosis bacteria are not persistent, but the last 0.1% have entered into a persistent state expressing many stress proteins that help them become refractory to killing. A normal course of antibiotic chemotherapy for patients is six months. If infected with a strain resistant to the two frontline drugs, that time goes up to two years. The problem is even greater in extremely multidrug resistant (XDR) strains. What we really need is a way to understand persistence and a way to shorten chemotherapy. That’s why were were absolutely amazed when we discovered that cysteine with isoniazid completely sterilizes Mtb cultures in vitro and in vivo! The culture is sterilized because the bacteria can’t form persisters. Vitamin C co-treatment with antibiotics may lead to a shortened course of therapy for TB treatment. Neutralizing antibodies to the herpesvirus glycoprotein have been the dogma for protecting from herpes. Jacobs and his colleagues discovered that a vaccine based on a glycoprotein-knockout virus confers sterilizing immunity not through neutralizing antibodies but through antibody-dependent cell cytoxicity (ADCC). This ADCC response may also be important to develop a more effective TB vaccine.   Featured Quotes (in order of appearance): “You’ll never know how bad your aseptic technique is until you start working with tuberculosis!” “I think part of the reason I had the opportunity to develop genetics for TB - it’s not like it wasn’t important to do - but a lot of people were disappointed when working with the organism.” “We’re about to take TB genetics to where yeast genetics is.” “One of the tubicle bacilli’s greatest powers or one of its most important phenotypes is that it has the ability to persist, which means it has the ability to tolerate killing effectors, either killing by the immune system or killing by bactericidal drugs.” “I took students to the Bronx Zoo, and over by the zebra pen, I sniffed and said ‘I smell a phage!’ In fact, that’s not crazy - anyone who plants flowers knows what good soil smells like, and in the good soil, you’re smelling the bacteria that live in the soil, the Streptomyces and Mycobacteria. I reached down and grabbed that dirt, and when we went back to work we isolated BxE1.” “I’ve never met a phage I wasn’t excited about!” “I now believe that most pathogens do not ‘want’ ADCC antibodies to be made, and they have immune evasion strategies where they skew the immune response to get the wrong antibodies. Since the time we published our first paper, numerous groups have shown that correlates of protection for HIV, for influenza, and for Zika, turn out to be ADCC antibodies.” “Genetics is the mathematics of biology!”   Links for this episode Bill Jacobs lab site NYTimes story on 1993 rapid diagnostic test using luciferase AACJournal: Vitamin C potentiates the killing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by the first-line tuberculosis drugs isoniazid and rifampicin in mice Cell: Origins of highly mosaic mycobacteriophage genomes SEA-PHAGES program eLife: Whole genome comparison of a large collection of mycobacteriophages reveals a continuum of phage genetic diversity mBio: Dual-reported mycobacteriophages (Φ2DRMs) reveal preexisting Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistent cells in human sputum Tuberculosis - Its cause, cure and prevention [1914] (pdf)   Send your stories about our guests and/or your comments to jwolf@asmusa.org.  

This episode: Vaccinating mice with heat-killed soil bacteria reduced their stressed behavior and inflammation! Download Episode (9.8 MB, 10.7 minutes) Show notes: Journal Paper: Reber SO, Siebler PH, Donner NC, Morton JT, Smith DG, Kopelman JM, Lowe KR, Wheeler KJ, Fox JH, Hassell JE, Greenwood BN, Jansch C, Lechner A, Schmidt D, Uschold-Schmidt N, Füchsl AM, Langgartner D, Walker FR, Hale MW, Perez GL, Treuren WV, González A, Halweg-Edwards AL, Fleshner M, Raison CL, Rook GA, Peddada SD, Knight R, Lowry CA. 2016. Immunization with a heat-killed preparation of the environmental bacterium Mycobacterium vaccae promotes stress resilience in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci 113:E3130–E3139. Other interesting stories: Art with glowing bacteria Making good bacterial tumor killers (paper) It's worth considering plants' microbes in addition to their genes (review) Virus affects how bees are attracted to plants Finding new biofuels algae in wastewater (paper)   Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening! Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook  

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel discuss how filarial infection modulates the immune response to mycobacterial infection, and reveal a new case study. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin Links for this episode: Filarial infection modulate immune response (J Immunol) Memory T cells (Wikipedia) Image: Loa loa microfilaria Letters read on TWiP 86 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv Subscribe Subscribe to TWiP (free) in iTunes, by the RSS feed or by email

Mykobakterien sind heterogene Krankheitserreger und befallen Mensch und Tier. Der bekannteste Vertreter ist das Mycobacterium tuberculosis als Hauptverursacher der Tuberkulose und wichtigster Vertreter des M. tuberculosis-Komplexes. Daneben gibt es Mycobacteria other than tuberculosis, die MOTTS, die für verschiedene Krankheitsbilder bei unterschiedlichen Spezies verantwortlich sind. In dieser Arbeit wurde der Versuch der molekularbiologischen Stammdifferenzierung bei einer größeren Zahl Formalin fixierter und in Paraffin eingebetteter Proben vorgenommen. Hierbei wurden sowohl Patientenproben als auch Proben aus dem veterinärmedizinischem Bereich herangezogen, die zunächst histologisch begutachtet wurden. Bei fünf von 12 veterinärmedizinischen Fällen wurden säurefeste Stäbchen in der Ziehl-Neelsen Färbung gefunden. In der molekularen Untersuchung wurden bei allen diesen Fälle bis auf einen, bei dem die DNA vermutlich gehemmt ist, und einem zweiten, der in der Färbung unauffällig war, die Anwesenheit von Mykobakterien bestätigt. Bei diesem in der Färbung unauffälligen Fall wurde das Vorhandensein von unbekannten Mykobakterien nachgewiesen. Bei den übrigen vier Fällen wurde dreimal das M. avium subsp. avium, normalerweise Erreger der Geflügeltuberkulose, und einmal das M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis nachgewiesen. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis ist Erreger der Paratuberkulose, einer chronischen Enteritis bei Rindern. Es konnten keine Mitglieder des M. tuberculosis-Komplexes nachgewiesen werden. Aus dem Bereich der Humanmedizin wurden Patientenproben aus der Routinediagnostik histologisch und molekularbiologisch mit PCR und Spoligotyping untersucht. In der Ziehl-Neelsen-Färbung wurde histologisch nach Tuberkulose-typischen Auffälligkeiten wie Granulome, Epitheloidzellen und Nekrosen gefahndet. Anschließend wurden die Proben molekularbiologisch mit PCR auf β-Aktin als Hinweis auf replizierbare DNA und auf IS6110 als Hinweis auf Mitglieder des M. tuberculosis-Komplexes untersucht. IS6110-positive Proben wurden mit dem Ziel der genauen Stammdifferenzierung dem Spoligotyping zugeführt. Spoligotyping ist eine auf PCR basierende Technik, die gerne für epidemiologische Fragestellungen genutzt wird. Folgende weitere Ergebnisse wurden gewonnen: Die molekulare Untersuchung mittels PCR zeigte die Anwesenheit von M. tuberculosis-Komplex DNA in 36 von 65 humanen Fällen, wohingegen säurefeste Stäbchen in der Ziehl-Neelsen Färbung nur in elf Fällen entdeckt werden konnten. Alle IS6110 positiven Fälle wurden mit Spoligotyping weitergehend untersucht. Dreizehn Fälle boten M. tuberculosis spezifische Muster, während M. bovis spezifische Muster in vier Fällen erhalten wurden.

Health education.  BCG vaccine study to regenerate islet cells of pancreas and reverse diabetes. Mycobacteria. Many translations of the Huang Di Nei Jing, Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Chinese Medicine. Studying from a Master.  Summer heat, heat exhaustion, heat stroke. Enlarged prostate. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Western Perspective, Integrative and Functional Medicine. Live streaming. The Balancing [...]Read More »

Leprosy goes under the microscope this week as we uncover the origins of one of the oldest known human diseases, recognised this week on World Leprosy Day. A quarter of a million new cases are diagnosed every year, but how is the illness spreading, what damage does it do to the body and can it be stopped? We also hear what archaeologists are unearthing about the history of leprosy and where it came from in the first place. Plus, why it's time to rethink the workings of the circadian clock, brain scans for bilingualism, cow-stomach bacterial genes for biofuels, and the engineering that lies... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Leprosy goes under the microscope this week as we uncover the origins of one of the oldest known human diseases, recognised this week on World Leprosy Day. A quarter of a million new cases are diagnosed every year, but how is the illness spreading, what damage does it do to the body and can it be stopped? We also hear what archaeologists are unearthing about the history of leprosy and where it came from in the first place. Plus, why it's time to rethink the workings of the circadian clock, brain scans for bilingualism, cow-stomach bacterial genes for biofuels, and the engineering that lies... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Research presented this week shows that exposure to a specific bacteria found in soil increases learning in mice. Christie Nicholson reports

Mycobacteria (02.03.10)

Presented by Dr. Majid Sadigh during the ongoing Makerere Univ./Yale Univ. Collaboration. Selected topics include infections with Rhodococcus, Mycobacteria, Bartonella, and Salmonella.