Seeking new antibiotics in nature's backyard
Article Abstract:
The pipeline of new antibiotics approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is running dry despite the threat of a new form of multidrug resistant strain of Mycobacterium that leaves patients virtually untreatable with current anti-TB drugs. Researchers screened 480 strains of soil bacteria from different environments against 21 antibiotics and found them to be resistant on average to 7 antibiotics, which spells doom, but opens opportunity to look for resistance mechanisms in nature as an early warning system before they are found in hospital bacteria.
Publication Name: Cell
Subject: Biological sciences
ISSN: 0092-8674
Year: 2006
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Malaria: New vaccines for old?
Article Abstract:
The difficulties that scientists face when developing a vaccine against malaria is summarized. Genome and post-genome research is providing potential candidate proteins for a malaria vaccine and the current challenge is to provide further validation of these proteins such that they may enter the pipeline for vaccine development in a rational fashion.
Publication Name: Cell
Subject: Biological sciences
ISSN: 0092-8674
Year: 2006
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Big pharma's commedia
Article Abstract:
The big pharmaceutical companies are facing an uncertain future, despite continuing financial success. The big pharma needs to pursue, merging basic and clinical research in a determined effort to fully elucidate the molecular mechanisms of disease to develop effective drugs with fewer side effects.
Publication Name: Cell
Subject: Biological sciences
ISSN: 0092-8674
Year: 2005
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