Ben Koch’s Post

New study from our collaboration w/ NAU and others: modeled scenarios highlight an impending public health disaster driven by antimicrobial resistance. Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality, and rates could increase by nearly 50x with a pan resistant bacteria

🔍 New study reveals that half of broad-spectrum antibiotics in suspected sepsis cases are potentially unnecessary. With only 9.5% showing resistant organisms, it's crucial to balance early treatment with prudent prescribing. 📈 This study published in JAMA Network Open explores the trends in empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic use for suspected community-onset sepsis among more than 6 million hospitalizations in the U.S. Explore the findings! https://lnkd.in/eEzfET-h #PioneeringDiagnostics #Sepsis #Antibiotics

Important article in Nat Geo citing new data underscoring the urgent need to curtail antimicrobial resistance and calling for actions including more innovation to develop novel antibiotics and reducing high rates of hospital-acquired infections that can migrate into and threaten communities. Growing evidence shows newer antibiotics represent important improvements in the fight against #AMR in hospitals and communities. See new top-line findings from our new 5-year surveillance study: https://bit.ly/4fsK1FK Our government can speed progress vs AMR by reforming reimbursement of antimicrobials to recognize their value and by providing regulatory guidance for development of needed antibiotics to treat prevalent, community-acquired bacterial chronic bronchitis and sinusitis. If you’re a subscriber to NatGeo, check out the article summarizing the new research: https://lnkd.in/e6drW775

Have you read the recent report about the future of the antibiotic pipeline over the next 10 years published this week by IFPMA?    This report reviews the #antibiotic pipeline data against bacterial pathogens that World Health Organization and other public health agencies consider to be of the greatest concern.      Main conclusions:  ➡ With the introduction of effective incentives by 2025 that could lead to significant additional investment in the antibiotic pipeline, there could be a substantial positive impact on the future antibiotic pipeline – with an expected 19 new antibiotics approved and a pipeline consisting of 72 treatments in 2033. ➡ Without incentives, the modelling predicts the pipeline will continue to gradually decline, delivering only 8 approvals by 2033. Under this scenario, in 10 years’ time, the pipeline is expected to contain 26 treatments, of which only 6 are in late stages of development. ➡ A more robust pipeline of antibiotics would lead to a significant reduction in the burden of resistant infections across four WHO critical priority pathogens.   The modelling reinforces the economic and health imperative to act boldly, in a year when the #UN is focused on combatting #AMR. 

In a recent article for MediaBrief, Mr. Saransh Chaudhary, President, Global Critical Care, and CEO, Venus Medicine Research Centre, highlights the critical issue of Antibiotic Resistance (AMR). The article explores the historical misuse of antibiotics, its widespread impact, and the urgent need for collective action. Mr. Chaudhary emphasizes responsible antibiotic use, the challenges in developing new antibiotics, and the importance of government-led initiatives. He calls for a comprehensive approach, including creating a Priority Pathogens list, stricter regulations, and a standardized system for monitoring healthcare-associated infections. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dm_hRGwa #AntimicrobialResistance #AMRawareness #Superbugs #AMRresearch #VenusCares #VenusAMR #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #VenusRemedies

🦠 CRISPR: Nature’s Adaptive Defense Against Phages 🧬 Accompanying this mesmerizing video of a phage infecting a bacterium is a deep dive into how CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) systems protect bacteria and archaea from viral attacks. Here's how this fascinating defense mechanism works: 🔗 How CRISPR Defends Against Phages: • Acquisition (Adaptation): When a phage infects a bacterium, the bacterium captures a snippet of the phage’s DNA and stores it in the CRISPR locus—a genetic memory bank of past infections. 🧠 • Expression (CRISPR Array Transcription): The CRISPR locus is transcribed into RNA and processed into small CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs). Each crRNA serves as a guide, targeting specific phage DNA. 🎯 • Interference: The crRNAs guide Cas (CRISPR-associated) proteins to recognize the invading phage DNA. Cas proteins then cleave and degrade the phage DNA, stopping its replication and saving the bacterium. 🛡️ ✨ Why CRISPR Is So Effective: • Adaptive: CRISPR evolves to recognize new phage threats. • Memory-Based: It retains a record of past phage encounters for quicker defense. • Versatile: Different CRISPR types (e.g., Type I, II, III) offer diverse protection strategies. 🤔 But Phages Fight Back! • Phage Escape Mutations: Phages mutate to evade CRISPR recognition. • Anti-CRISPR Proteins: Some phages produce proteins that inhibit CRISPR, neutralizing its defense. 🌟 More Than Defense: CRISPR isn’t just a natural marvel—it has revolutionized biotechnology, particularly genome editing, offering breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and beyond. 📹 Watch the incredible battle between a phage and a bacterium in the video below and marvel at how nature inspires innovation! 💡 #CRISPR #PhageDefense #Biotechnology #Innovation

WHAT IS THIS Dr. Andrew Myers and Dr. Yury Polikanov are leading a team studying ways to outsmart antibiotic resistance. They've designed a synthetic drug, cresomycin, that could combat stubborn bacterial infections. WHY THIS IS AWESOME - Bold innovation in antibiotics - Attacks resistant bacterial strains - Potential to curb alarming death rates - Opens up new possibilities in drug design This game-changing work could revolutionize the way we think about and approach antibiotic resistance. By developing smart drugs like cresomycin, we could turn the tide against this global health crisis. #Innovation #AntibioticResistance #MedicalBreakthrough

Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, which demanded immediate global attention, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains largely under the radar, quietly unfolding in the background. While it may not make headlines, it presents a looming threat: "Over the next 25 years, an estimated 39 million people are expected to die from drug-resistant pathogens alone." The American Society for Microbiology emphasizes that to combat the growing health crisis, we must spread the word. They recommend the formation of advocacy groups within major organizations and companies to collectively raise awareness about the issue. While awareness is an essential piece of the puzzle, equally important is the development of technology that can deliver rapid AST results to physicians. This enables faster, more targeted therapies, helping to minimize the time patients spend on empiric therapy, which can contribute to AMR. See how the Selux NGP System was designed to help preserve the lifesaving power of antibiotics: https://seluxdx.co/4a1Vo5f Source: https://seluxdx.co/3BWUnP6 . . . #AntibioticResistance #RapidAST #NGP #Superbugs #SeluxDx

A very nice Commentary in the 50th-anniversary edition of Cell Press; entitled Focus on Fungi. Highlighting the importance of fungal pathogens and arguing for concerted research efforts to enhance understanding of fungal virulence, antifungal immunity, novel drug targets, antifungal resistance, and the mycobiota to improve human health. Well worth a read! https://lnkd.in/e6cikaSg.

https://lnkd.in/g4mbzRWN Recorded Version of Our Webinar Expert Series: ⚔ Antimicrobial Resistance and Counter Strategies - Dr. Christina Rosy J 🍃 "Instead of killing pathogens and triggering their aggressive evolutionary responses, we should focus on controlling their growth. This approach can help minimize AMR traits in the long run." – Dr. Christina Rosy J 🍂 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a critical global threat, responsible for the deaths of nearly 5 million people each year. Last Saturday, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Christina Rosy J, Assistant Manager at Shelcel Biozeen Technologies, as our Featured Speaker. Representing Biozeen, Dr. Rosy shared her valuable insights on AMR, discussing the complex strategies employed by both the immune system and pathogenic bacteria in their ongoing battle. AMR is projected to cause more deaths annually than cancer by 2050, with an estimated 10 million lives at risk. The increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics poses severe challenges to public health, agriculture, and the economy. During the webinar, we explored various countermeasures, from novel drug development to leveraging the body's immune response. 🍁 Don’t miss this essential discussion—catch the recorded version to learn more about the fight against AMR and the strategies we can employ to combat this growing threat. 🌿 Interdisciplinary Snippet: While the talk focuses of Microbial Aspects of AMR, Understanding the challenges faced by various industries can open new avenues for biomimicry enthusiasts to develop innovative solutions to address pressing issues like Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). A notable example is Sharklet Technologies, which has pioneered a design inspired by shark skin to reduce bacterial growth on surfaces. #microbiax #microbiaxwebinar #microbiaxcommunity #webinar #microbiology #antimicrobialresistance #amr #microbialresistance #microbialbiomimicry #microbes #superbugs #sharklettechnologies