Genetic Therapy in Veterinary Medicine

Gene therapy focuses on the genetic modification of cells, to produce a therapeutic effect or for the treatment of disease, by repairing or reconstructing defective genetic material. The development of genetic engineering and biotechnology makes it possible to deliver genes to the cells and tissues of the body, or to edit genes in a targeted manner. This allows us to “correct” faulty molecular process which provides, in comparison with conventional pharmaceuticals, fundamentally new therapeutic opportunities for previously incurable animal diseases. In this article, we demonstrate the prospects for using gene therapy in veterinary medicine. The possibility of using genetic engineering allows us to create species-specific gene drugs for animals, whilst avoiding unwanted complications and side effects. Gene therapy also opens up novel contemporary ways of treating a variety of animal diseases and additionally makes it possible to control the number of homeless animals in the community

Fluconazole-Pyridoxine Bis-Triazolium Compounds with Potent Activity against Pathogenic Bacteria and Fungi Including Their Biofilm-Embedded Forms

Two novel quaternary ammonium salts, bis-triazolium derivatives of fluconazole and pyridoxine, were synthesized by reaction of fluconazole with pyridoxine-based synthetic intermediates. The leading compound demonstrated pronounced antimycotic and antibacterial in vitro activity, comparable to or exceeding that of the reference antifungal (fluconazole, terbinafine) and antibacterial/antiseptic (miramistin, benzalkonium chloride) agents. In contrast to many antimicrobials, the leading compound was also active against biofilm-embedded staphylococci and Escherichia coli. While no biofilm structure destruction occurred, all compounds were able to diffuse into the matrix and reduce the number of colony-forming units by three orders of magnitude at 16 × MBC. The leading compound was significantly less toxic than miramistin and benzalkonium chloride and more toxic than the reference antifungal drugs. The obtained results make the described chemotype a promising starting point for the development of new broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapies with powerful effect on fungal and bacterial pathogens including their biofilm-embedded forms