Podcast appearances and mentions of Vincent A Fischetti

Today, you'll learn about new ways to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria, the discovery of the most powerful pulsar we've ever seen, and the truth about hippo poop. Stopping Superbugs “Dangerous ‘superbugs' are a growing threat, and antibiotics can't stop their rise. What can?” by Nicoletta Lanese. 2023. “Retrospective, observational analysis of the first one hundred consecutive cases of personalized bacteriophage therapy of difficult-to-treat infections facilitated by a Belgian consortium.” by Jean-Paul Pirnay, et al. 2023. “Lysin therapy offers new hope for fighting drug-resistant bacteria.” by Vincent A. Fischetti. 2019. Powerful Pulsar “Highest-energy pulsar ever seen could indicate new physics.” by Robert Lea. 2023. “Discovery of a radiation component from the Vela pulsar reaching 20 teraelectronvolts.” by F. Aharonian, et al. 2023. “What are pulsars?” by Paul Sutter. 2022. Hippo Poop “Hippos might be ferocious fighters, but their big teeth make terrible chewers.” by Jake Buehler. 2023. “Hippos' constant defecating turns African pools into communal guts.” by Lauren Barnett. 2021. “Chewing, dentition and tooth wear in Hippopotamidae.” by Annika Avedik & Marcus Clauss. 2023. “Hippo eating great animal in the world.” YouTube Video. N.d. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#61 Dr. Vincent A. Fischetti (Phage bacteria, antibiotic resistance, coronavirus)  https://www.rockefeller.edu/our-scientists/heads-of-laboratories/1160-vincent-a-fischetti/ From the web:The Fischetti lab exploits the evolution of bacteria-killing viruses, known as phages, to develop new ways to prevent and treat bacterial infections. This strategy has revealed bacteria-killing enzymes and novel immunotherapies that can overcome antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Fischetti works with both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, such as streptococci, staphylococci, anthrax, and acinetobacter, to develop unique treatment strategies to prevent infection. His approach involves novel immunotherapies and the use of phage lytic enzymes to both prevent infection and remove pathogenic bacteria from infected tissues. Fischetti’s lab uses recombinantly produced phage lysins that will kill the major gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens including Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, Bacillus anthracis, and Acinetobacter baumannii. The enzymes are extremely potent; micrograms can destroy millions of organisms within seconds. They are also highly specific and, unlike antibiotics, only kill the disease-causing bacteria, without harming the beneficial bacteria. Fischetti’s studies have shown that when small amounts of phage lysins are administered to infected mice, disease-causing bacteria are rapidly destroyed. In an animal model of pneumococcal pneumonia, Fischetti and his collaborators have shown that systemic administration of the phage enzyme Cpl-1 can rescue infected mice and completely reverse lung tissue damage if given within 24 hours post-infection. Similarly, experiments involving antibiotic-resistant S. aureus causing serious bacteremia in mice returned similar results after treatment with a staphylococcal-specific lysin. This lysin technology has been licensed and is currently in human clinical trials. Using lytic enzymes as a tool, Fischetti’s lab developed a method of drilling through the thick cell walls of gram-positive bacteria while keeping the cells intact. The technique enabled the researchers to access the bacterial cytoplasm with labeled antibodies to study intracellular molecules that were previously inaccessible. As a result of the high variability and plasticity of S. aureus, vaccine development has been challenging and has yet to be accomplished. Using the high-affinity binding domain of phage lysins directed to S. aureus, the Fischetti lab has successfully developed fusion immunoglobulins (called lysibodies) with the capacity to bind to the common cell wall of all Staphylococci, resulting in efficient phagocytic killing by human white blood cells. Lysibodies may be used to boost the immune response of Staphylococcus-infected patients. Because bacteria use their surface molecules to attack and invade human tissues, a better understanding of how they anchor these molecules in their cell walls could lead to new strategies to prevent infection. The M surface protein is the major virulence factor of group A streptococci because of its ability to impede human white blood cells. Analysis by Fischetti’s lab shows that the region used to attach the M protein to the streptococcal cell surface is highly conserved in all gram-positive bacteria, indicating that the mechanism for anchoring surface proteins in bacteria is also conserved. Since bacteria cannot cause infection without surface proteins, a molecule that blocks surface protein attachment would be broadly applicable to different gram-positive bacteria.FOLLOW US:https://www.facebook.com/mindmeltpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/mindmeltpodcast/

Antibiotic resistance—the ability of bacteria to survive even large doses of broad-spectrum antibiotics—is a growing problem in the modern world, one that threatens the safety of everyone on the planet. But this hasn't always been the case; not more than 20 years ago, the idea of antibiotic resistance was not really on anyone's radar, which is a testament to how quickly the problem has developed, and therefore how time-sensitive it is to develop a solution. According to Dr. Vincent A. Fischetti, head of the Fischetti Lab at Rockefeller University, as well as the results from phase 2 clinical trials which put it to the test, the solution lies in a bacteriophage enzyme called lysin. On today's episode, Dr. Fischetti explains how bacteriophages (commonly referred to as phages) kill bacteria, and how he and his team harnessed this knowledge in a way that's led to the development of the first-ever alternative to antibiotics that's been FDA-approved to enter phase 3 clinical trials. This potential treatment for bacterial diseases in humans could very well eliminate the daunting threat of antibiotic resistance. Dr. Fischetti brings an impressive amount of fascinating information to the conversation today. By tuning in, you're bound to learn a number of things, including: How significantly the use of antibiotics in farm animals (to fatten them up, treat them as food products, etc.) has contributed to antibiotic resistance What bacteria do in order to avoid or resist being killed by a given antibiotic Where antibiotics come from and how they are used by the organisms that create them What the difference is between gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria Press play for all the details.

A New Anti-Infective in an Age of Antibacterial Resistance with Dr. Vincent A. Fischetti, Research Microbiologist and the Head of the Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology at the Rockefeller University.