CONTENTS

FOREWORD

PREFACE

List of Contributors

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Bacteriophages as Antibacterial Agents: Why are We Facing an Antibiotic Crisis and How Could Bacteriophages be of Help?

1. INTRODUCTION

2. WHY ARE WE FACING AN ANTIBIOTIC (AB) CRISIS?

3. HOW TO RESOLVE THIS ANTIBIOTIC CRISIS?

4. BACTERIOPHAGES OR IN SHORT ‘PHAGES’

5. BACTERIOPHAGE THERAPY OR PHAGE THERAPY

6. EXPERIMENTAL PHAGE THERAPY

7. SAFETY ISSUES

8. IN FACT WE LIVE IN AN “OCEAN” OF BACTERIOPHAGES

9. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR PHAGE THERAPY

10. THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF PHAGE THERAPY VERSUS ANTIBIOTICS

11. PHAGE THERAPY IN PUBLIC HEALTH

12. WHY PHAGE THERAPY IS NOT YET IMPLEMENTED?

CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Antimicrobial Peptides

INTRODUCTION

1. WHAT ARE ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES (AMPS)

1.1. Mode of Action

1.2. Immune System

1.3. Resistance

2. CHRONOLOGY OF AMPS DISCOVERY – A BRIEF HISTORY

2.1. Classification of AMPs

2.1.1. Biological Source

2.1.2. Biological Functions

2.1.3. Biosynthesis

2.1.4. Molecular Properties

2.1.5. Molecular Targets

2.1.6. Three-Dimensional (3D) Structure

2.2. Currently Active AMPs Databases

3. THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS OF AMPS

3.1. Anticancer AMPs

3.2. Antiviral AMPs

3.3. Anti-parasitic AMPs

3.4. New Generation of AMPs

CONCLUDING REMARKS

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Probiotics: Ways of Action and Beneficial Effects

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SELECTION OF PROBIOTICS

3. COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT PROBIOTICS

4. MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF PROBIOTICS

4.1. Immunomodulation

4.2. Direct Effects on Other Microorganisms

5. BENEFICIAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF PROBIOTICS

5.1. Alleviation of Lactose Intolerance

5.2. Effect on Helicobacter Pylori Eradication

5.3. Anti-carcinogenic Effect

5.4. Cholesterol-lowering Effects

5.5. Allergy and Atopic Dermatitis

5.6. Inflammatory Diseases and Bowel Syndromes

CONCLUSION

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Immunotherapy

1. BACTERIAL INFECTIVITY, IMMUNE RESPONSE AND MULTIRESISTANT INFECTIONS : NEW PERSPECTIVES

1.1. Introduction

1.2. Host Resistance

1.3. Bacterial Strategies for Evading, Surviving Host Defense Systems and Create Infection

2. IMMUNOTHERAPY

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Applications of Immunotherapy

2.3. Passive Immunotherapy

2.4. Passive Immunotherapy: Antibodies

2.5. Passive Immunotherapy: Adoptive T-cell Transfer

2.6. Passive Immunotherapy: Immunomodulators

2.7. Growth Factors

2.7.1. Filgastrim

2.7.2. Sargramostim

2.7.3. Erythropoietin (EPO)

2.7.4. Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1)

2.8. Interleukins

2.8.1. Interleukin 2

2.8.2. Interleukin-8

2.9. Interferons

2.9.1. Human Interferon Alpha (HuIFN- α)

2.9.2. Recombinant-Feline Interferon Omega (rFeIFN- ω)

2.10. Nonspecific Immunostimulants

2.10.1. Staphylococcal Protein A (SPA)

2.10.2. Propionibacterium Acnes

2.10.3. Acemannan

2.10.4. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)

2.10.5. Serratia Marcescens Extracts

2.10.6. Parapoxvirus

2.11. Drugs From Other Classes That Can Have Immunomodulation Properties

2.11.1. Liposomes

2.11.2. Levamisole

2.11.3. Lactoferrin

2.11.4. Nosodes

2.11.5. Cimetidine

2.11.6. Active Immunotherapy

2.12. Active Immunotherapy: Vaccines

2.13. Peptide Plus Adjuvant

2.14. Plasmid DNA

2.15. Recombinant Virus

2.16. Recombinant Bacteria

2.17. Dendritic Cell Vaccines

2.18. Tumor Cell Vaccines

2.19. Heat-shock Protein and Exosome-based Vaccines

2.20. Active Immunotherapy: Checkpoint Blockade

CONCLUDING REMARKS

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

REFERENCES

Perspectives on Natural Products

1. NATURAL PRODUCTS AS ANTIBIOTIC ALTERNATIVES FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM

2. SEARCHING FOR NATURAL PRODUCTS: THE IMPORTANCE AND EVOLVING ROLE OF NATURAL PRODUCTS IN DRUG DISCOVERY

3. CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, ISOLATION AND TESTING OF NATURAL PRODUCTS AND THEIR ACTIVE COMPOUNDS

4. PROMISING RESULTS ON THE USAGE OF NATURAL COMPOUNDS AGAINST PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS

CONCLUDING REMARKS

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Bacteriocins

1. INTRODUCTION

2. BACTERIOCINS IN GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA

2.1. Colicins

2.2. Microcins

2.3. Genetic regulation of Colicins and Colicin-like bacteriocins

2.4. Mode of Action

3. BACTERIOCINS OF GRAM-POSITIVE BACTERIA

3.1. Classification

3.1.1. Class I: The Lanthionine-Containing (Lantibiotics) Bacteriocins

3.1.2. Class II: The Unmodified Peptide Bacteriocins

3.1.3. Class III: The Large (>10 kDa) Bacteriocins

3.2. Nisin: The Classic Case-Study

3.3. Genetic Regulation

3.3.1. Genetic regulation in Lantibiotics – Nisin

3.4. Mode of Action

4. Bacteriocins of Archaea

5. Detecting Bacteriocin Production

6. Promising Results on the Usage of Bacteriocins

6.1. In the Food Industry

6.2. In Human Health

6.3. In Livestock Health

7. “Raison d’etre” - Ecological Role and Evolution of Bacteriocin Diversity

CONCLUDING REMARKS

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Biocides – A Reasonable Alternative to Prevent and Control Microorganisms?

1. INTRODUCTION

2. BIOCIDES CLASSES

2.1. Alcohols

2.2. Aldehydes

2.3. Anilides

2.4. Biguanides

2.5. Diamidines

2.6. Halogen-Releasing Agents

2.7. Silver Compounds

2.8. Peroxygens

2.9. Phenols

2.10. Bis-Phenols

2.11. Halophenols

2.12. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

2.13. Vapor-Phase Sterilants

3. FACTORS INFLUENCING EFFECTIVENESS OF BIOCIDES

4. MECHANISMS OF BIOCIDE RESISTANCE

4.1. Intrinsic Resistance Mechanisms

4.2. Biofilm As an Intrinsic Resistance Mechanism

4.3. Biofilm Formation in Bacterial Populations

4.4. Extrinsic Resistance Mechanisms

5. EUROPEAN REGULATION FOR BIOCIDE PRODUCTS

CONCLUSION

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ABBREVIATIONS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Veterinary Medicine

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Probiotics

1.2. Chicken and Turkeys

1.3. Ruminants

1.4. Horses

1.5. Swine

1.6. Aquaculture

1.7. Cat and Dog

2. BACTERIOPHAGES AND PHAGE THERAPY

2.1. Scope of Phage Therapy in Veterinary Sciences

CONCLUDING REMARKS

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

Summary Frontiers in Antimicrobial Agents –The Challenging of Antibiotic Resistance in the Development of New Therapeutics

SUBJECT INDEX