183 research outputs found
Next-generation probiotics: the spectrum from probiotics to live biotherapeutics
The leading probiotics currently available to consumers are generally drawn from a narrow range of organisms. Knowledge of the gut microbiota and its constituent actors is changing this paradigm, particularly given the phylogenetic range and relatively unknown characteristics of the organisms under investigation as novel therapeutics. For this reason, and because their development is likely to be more amenable to a pharmaceutical than a food delivery route, these organisms are often operationally referred to as next-generation probiotics, a concept that overlaps with the emerging concept of live biotherapeutic products. The latter is a class of organisms developed exclusively for pharmaceutical application. In this Perspective, we discuss what lessons have been learned from working with traditional probiotics, explore the kinds of organisms that are likely to be used as novel microbial therapeutics, discuss the regulatory framework required, and propose how scientists may meet this challenge
Next-generation probiotics: the spectrum from probiotics to live biotherapeutics
The leading probiotics currently available to consumers are generally drawn from a narrow range of organisms. Knowledge of the gut microbiota and its constituent actors is changing this paradigm, particularly given the phylogenetic range and relatively unknown characteristics of the organisms under investigation as novel therapeutics. For this reason, and because their development is likely to be more amenable to a pharmaceutical than a food delivery route, these organisms are often operationally referred to as next-generation probiotics, a concept that overlaps with the emerging concept of live biotherapeutic products. The latter is a class of organisms developed exclusively for pharmaceutical application. In this Perspective, we discuss what lessons have been learned from working with traditional probiotics, explore the kinds of organisms that are likely to be used as novel microbial therapeutics, discuss the regulatory framework required, and propose how scientists may meet this challenge
The 31 Deg Release of the Stripe 82 X-ray Survey: The Point Source Catalog
We release the next installment of the Stripe 82 X-ray survey point-source
catalog, which currently covers 31.3 deg of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS) Stripe 82 Legacy field. In total, 6181 unique X-ray sources are
significantly detected with {\it XMM-Newton} () and {\it Chandra}
(). This catalog release includes data from {\it XMM-Newton} cycle
AO 13, which approximately doubled the Stripe 82X survey area. The flux limits
of the Stripe 82X survey are erg s cm,
erg s cm, and erg
s cm in the soft (0.5-2 keV), hard (2-10 keV), and full bands
(0.5-10 keV), respectively, with approximate half-area survey flux limits of
erg s cm, erg s
cm, and erg s cm. We matched the X-ray
source lists to available multi-wavelength catalogs, including updated matches
to the previous release of the Stripe 82X survey; 88\% of the sample is matched
to a multi-wavelength counterpart. Due to the wide area of Stripe 82X and rich
ancillary multi-wavelength data, including coadded SDSS photometry,
mid-infrared {\it WISE} coverage, near-infrared coverage from UKIDSS and VHS,
ultraviolet coverage from {\it GALEX}, radio coverage from FIRST, and
far-infrared coverage from {\it Herschel}, as well as existing 30\%
optical spectroscopic completeness, we are beginning to uncover rare objects,
such as obscured high-luminosity AGN at high-redshift. The Stripe 82X point
source catalog is a valuable dataset for constraining how this population grows
and evolves, as well as for studying how they interact with the galaxies in
which they live.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ; 23 pages (emulateapj
The skin is a significant but overlooked anatomical reservoir for vector-borne African trypanosomes
International audienceThe role of mammalian skin in harbouring and transmitting arthropod-borne protozoan parasites has been overlooked for decades as these pathogens have been regarded primarily as blood-dwelling organisms. Intriguingly, infections with low or undetected blood parasites are common, particularly in the case of Human African Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. We hypothesise, therefore, the skin represents an anatomic reservoir of infection. Here we definitively show that substantial quantities of trypanosomes exist within the skin following experimental infection, which can be transmitted to the tsetse vector, even in the absence of detectable parasitaemia. Importantly, we demonstrate the presence of extravascular parasites in human skin biopsies from undiagnosed individuals. The identification of this novel reservoir requires a re-evaluation of current diagnostic methods and control policies. More broadly, our results indicate that transmission is a key evolutionary force driving parasite extravasation that could further result in tissue invasion-dependent pathology
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