Antivirulence strategy has been explored as an alternative to traditional antibiotic development. The bacterial type IV pilus is a virulence factor involved in host invasion and colonization in many antibiotic resistant pathogens. The PilB ATPase hydrolyzes ATP to drive the assembly of the pilus filament from pilin subunits. We evaluated Chloracidobacterium thermophilum PilB (CtPilB) as a model for structure-based virtual screening by molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A hexameric structure of CtPilB was generated through homology modeling based on an existing crystal structure of a PilB from Geobacter metallireducens. Four representative structures were obtained from molecular dynamics simulations to examine the conformational plasticity of PilB and improve docking analyses by ensemble docking. Structural analyses after 1 μs of simulation revealed conformational changes in individual PilB subunits are dependent on ligand presence. Further, ensemble virtual screening of a library of 4,234 compounds retrieved from the ZINC15 database identified five promising PilB inhibitors. Molecular docking and binding analyses using the four representative structures from MD simulations revealed that top-ranked compounds interact with multiple Walker A residues, one Asp-box residue, and one arginine finger, indicating these are key residues in inhibitor binding within the ATP binding pocket. The use of multiple conformations in molecular screening can provide greater insight into compound flexibility within receptor sites and better inform future drug development for therapeutics targeting the type IV pilus assembly ATPase.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a top-priority pathogen in the health sector because it is ubiquitous, has high metabolic/genetic versatility, and is identified as an opportunistic pathogen. The production of numerous virulence factors by P. aeruginosa was reported to act individually or cooperatively to make them robots invasion, adherences, persistence, proliferation, and protection against host immune systems. P. aeruginosa produces various kinds of extracellular proteases such as alkaline protease, protease IV, elastase A, elastase B, large protease A, Pseudomonas small protease, P. aeruginosa aminopeptidase, and MucD. These proteases effectively allow the cells to invade and destroy host cells. Thus, inhibiting these protease activities has been recognized as a promising approach to controlling the infection caused by P. aeruginosa. The present review discussed in detail the characteristics of these proteases and their role in infection to the host system. The second part of the review discussed the recent updates on the multiple strategies for attenuating or inhibiting protease activity. These strategies include the application of natural and synthetic molecules, as well as metallic/polymeric nanomaterials. It has also been reported that a propeptide present in the middle domain of protease IV also attenuates the virulence properties and infection ability of P. aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections have become a serious threat to public health due to the increasing emergence of extensively antibiotic-resistant strains and high mortality rates. Therefore, the search for new therapeutic alternatives has become crucial. In this study, the antivirulence and antibacterial activity of methyl gallate was evaluated against six clinical isolates of extensively antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa. Methyl gallate exhibited minimal inhibitory concentrations of 256 to 384 μg/mL; moreover, the use of subinhibitory concentrations of the compound inhibited biofilm formation, swimming, swarming, proteolytic activity, and pyocyanin production. Methyl gallate plus antipseudomonal antibiotics showed a synergistic effect by reduced the MICs of ceftazidime, gentamicin and meropenem. Furthermore, the potential therapeutic effect of methyl gallate was demonstrated in an infection model. This study evidenced the antivirulence and antimicrobial activity of methyl gallate as a therapeutic alternative against P. aeruginosa.

BACKGROUND: Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) including different species are isolated from different human clinical samples. ECC is armed by many different virulence genes (VGs) and they were also classified among ESKAPE group by WHO recently. The present study was designed to find probable association between VGs and antibiotic susceptibility in different ECC species.
METHODS: Forty-five Enterobacter isolates that were harvested from different clinical samples were classified in four different species. Seven VGs were screened by PCR technique and antibiotic susceptibility assessment was performed by disk-diffusion assay.
RESULTS: Four Enterobacter species; Enterobacter cloacae (33.3%), Enterobacter hormaechei (55.6%), Enterobacter kobei (6.7%) and Enterobacter roggenkampii (4.4%) were detected. Minimum antibiotic resistance was against carbapenem agents and amikacin even in MDR isolates. 33.3% and 13.3% of isolates were MDR and XDR respectively. The rpoS (97.8%) and csgD (11.1%) showed maximum and minimum frequency respectively. Blood sample isolated were highly virulent but less resistant in comparison to the other sample isolates. The csgA, csgD and iutA genes were associated with cefepime sensitivity.
CONCLUSIONS: The fepA showed a predictory role for differentiating of E. hormaechei from other species. More evolved iron acquisition system in E. hormaechei was hypothesized. The fepA gene introduced as a suitable target for designing novel anti-virulence/antibiotic agents against E. hormaechei. Complementary studies on other VGs and ARGs and with bigger study population is recommended.

Objective: This study aims to compare the antiviral treatment similarities and differences in the population covered by the 2024 version of the World Health Organization\'s (WHO) hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines and the current Chinese hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines, so as to explore their impact on the indications for antiviral therapy in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: The information of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who did not receive antiviral treatment was collected through the registration database of the China Clinical Research Platform for Hepatitis B Elimination. Descriptive statistics were conducted on the demographic, blood, biochemical, and virological levels of patients according to the treatment recommendations of the two versions of the guidelines. The Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare the differences and proportional distribution of the treatment populations covered by the two guidelines. The χ2 test was used to analyze the coverage rate of different antiviral treatment indications. Results: A total of 21,134 CHB patients without antiviral treatment were enrolled. 69.4% of patients met the 2024 versions of the WHO guidelines\' recommendations. 85.0% of patients met the current Chinese hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines. The WHO guidelines for antiviral therapy indications were met in younger patients with higher levels of ALT, AST, and APRI scores, as well as greater proportion of patients with higher viral loads (P<0.001). The WHO guidelines recommended a cut-off value of APRI>0.5, which raised the proportion of patients on antiviral therapy from 6.6% to 30.9%. 45.7% of patients met the antiviral indications for HBV DNA >2000 IU/ml with abnormal transaminase (ALT>30 U/L for males and ALT>19 U/L for females). The reduced APRI diagnostic cut-off value and ALT treatment threshold had further increased the treatment coverage rate by 91.6% in patients with chronic HBV infection in line with the 2024 versions of WHO guidelines. Conclusion: The reduction of the APRI diagnostic cut-off value and the ALT treatment threshold, based on the current hepatitis B guidelines of China, will further improve the treatment coverage of CHB patients.
目的： 比较世界卫生组织（WHO）2024年版乙型肝炎防治指南与中国现行乙型肝炎防治指南的抗病毒治疗覆盖人群的异同，探讨其对中国慢性乙型肝炎（CHB）患者抗病毒治疗适应证的影响。 方法： 通过中国消除乙型肝炎临床研究平台注册登记数据库，收集未接受抗病毒治疗的慢性乙型肝炎病毒感染患者信息，根据两版指南推荐治疗建议，对患者人口学、血液、生物化学、病毒学水平进行描述性统计，利用Mann-Whitney U检验和χ(2)检验比较两部指南所覆盖治疗人群的差异及其分布比例，并通过χ(2)检验分析不同抗病毒治疗指征的覆盖率。 结果： 共纳入21 134例未经抗病毒治疗的CHB患者，69.4%的患者符合2024年版WHO指南推荐，85.0%的患者符合现有中国乙型肝炎防治指南。符合WHO指南抗病毒治疗指征患者年龄更小，丙氨酸转氨酶(ALT)、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、AST和血小板比值(APRI)评分水平、高病毒载量患者比例更高（P < 0.001）。WHO指南推荐APRI > 0.5这一界值将抗病毒治疗从6.6%提高至30.9%；其中45.7%患者符合HBV DNA > 2 000 IU/ml伴转氨酶异常（男性ALT > 30 U/L及女性ALT > 19 U/L）这一抗病毒治疗指征。依据2024年版WHO指南意见，通过下调APRI诊断界值、下调ALT治疗阈值将进一步提高慢性HBV感染患者治疗覆盖率至91.6%。 结论： 基于我国现有乙型肝炎指南，通过降低APRI诊断界值和ALT治疗阈值将进一步提高CHB患者治疗覆盖率。.

Flavonoids epitomize structural scaffolds in many biologically active synthetic and natural compounds. They showcase a diverse spectrum of biological activities including anticancer, antidiabetic, antituberculosis, antimalarial, and antibiofilm activities. The antibiofilm activity of a series of new chalcones and flavonols against clinically significant Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 strain was studied. Antivirulence activities were screened by analysing the effect of compounds on the production of virulence factors like pyocyanin, LasA protease, cell surface hydrophobicity, and rhamnolipid. The best ligands towards the quorum sensing proteins LasR, RhlR, and PqsR were recognised using a molecular docking study. The gene expression in P. aeruginosa after treatment with test compounds was evaluated on quorum sensing genes including rhlA, lasB, and pqsE. The antibiofilm potential of chalcones and flavonols was confirmed by the efficient reduction in the production of virulence factors and downregulation of gene expression.

Enterococcus faecalis is a troublesome nosocomial pathogen that acquired resistance to most available antimicrobial agents. Antivirulence agents represent an unconventional treatment approach. Here, transcription factor decoy (TFD)-loaded cationic liposomes (TLL) were developed as an inhibitor of the Fsr quorum-sensing system and its associated virulence traits, in E. faecalis. The consensus sequence of the FsrA binding site was found conserved among 651 E. faecalis annotated genomes. The TFD was synthesized as an 82 bp DNA duplex, containing the conserved binding sequence, and loaded onto cationic liposomes. The optimum loading capacity, mean particle size, and zeta potential of the TLL were characterized. The developed TLL lacked any effect on E. faecalis growth and significantly inhibited the in vitro production of the proteolytic enzymes controlled by the Fsr system; gelatinase and serine protease, in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibition was accompanied by a significant reduction in the transcription levels of FsrA-regulated genes (fsrB, gelE, and sprE). The developed TLL were safe as evidenced by the nonhemolytic effect on human RBCs and the negligible cytotoxicity on human skin fibroblast cells. Moreover, in the larvae infection model, TLL displayed a significant abolish in the mortality rates of Galleria mellonella larvae infected with E. faecalis. In conclusion, the developed TLL offer a new safe strategy for combating E. faecalis infection through the inhibition of quorum-sensing-mediated virulence; providing a platform for the development of similar agents to combat many other pathogens.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major public health issues of ongoing global concern. Due to inadequate understanding of the HBV life cycle, there is a lack of effective drugs to cure chronic hepatitis B. During HBV replication, covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) serves as the template for viral replication and can be transcribed to produce five viral RNAs of 3.5, 2.4, 2.1 kb and 0.7 kb in length, which are translated to produce HBeAg, core protein, polymerase (P) protein, HBsAg and HBx proteins, respectively. Among them, the 3.5 kb pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) is also the template for viral reverse transcription. Polymerase protein recognizes and binds to the capsid assembly signal on the pgRNA to initiate capsid assembly and reverse transcription. Recent studies have revealed that the processes of splicing, nuclear export, stability, translation, and pgRNA encapsidation of HBV RNAs are regulated by a post-transcriptional regulatory network within the host cell and depend on unique post-transcriptional regulatory elements in the HBV RNA structure. The aim of this review is to overview the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of HBV RNA and their applications in the study of HBV antiviral therapeutics, with the aim of providing new ideas for the development of new drugs targeting HBV RNA.
慢性乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）感染是全球持续关注的重大公共健康问题之一。由于对HBV生命周期的认识还不够充分，目前尚缺乏有效治愈慢性乙型肝炎的药物。在HBV复制过程中，共价闭合环状DNA作为病毒复制的模板，可转录产生长度为3.5、2.4、2.1 kb以及0.7 kb的5种病毒RNA，分别翻译产生HBeAg、core蛋白、聚合酶（P）蛋白、HBsAg和HBx蛋白。其中，3.5 kb的前基因组RNA（pgRNA）也是病毒逆转录的模板，P蛋白可识别并结合pgRNA上的衣壳组装信号，启动衣壳组装和逆转录。近年来研究发现，HBV RNA的剪接、核输出、稳定性、翻译以及pgRNA衣壳化等过程均受到宿主细胞内的转录后调控网络调控，并依赖HBV RNA结构中独特的转录后调节元件。现对HBV RNA的转录后调控机制及其在HBV抗病毒治疗药物研究中的应用进行综述，以期为靶向HBV RNA的新药研发提供新思路。.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released the Global Health Sector Strategy 2016, which explicitly proposes a 90% reduction in the new hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection rate and a 65% reduction in HBV-related mortality by 2030. However, at present, there are still 296 million chronic hepatitis B virus-infected patients worldwide, and nearly 900,000 patients die every year from cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by HBV infection. Antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus infection can effectively inhibit HBV replication, reduce liver inflammation and necrosis, effectively block and reverse liver fibrosis, and even early cirrhosis, thereby lowering cirrhosis-related complications, liver cancer, and liver disease-related mortality. Although the domestic and foreign guidelines have gradually eased antiviral treatment indications for chronic hepatitis B, there are still a considerable number of chronic hepatitis B patients with nonconformity who cannot receive antiviral treatment because they do not meet the existing standards, resulting in the progression of more severe diseases. This study analyzed the prevalence of hepatitis B, the therapeutic effect of antiviral drugs, domestic and international guideline treatment standards, the assessment of key indicators changes in the guidelines, comprehensively considered the coverage rate and treatment standards for antiviral treatment, and explored the changes in disease burden and cost-effectiveness following increasing the coverage rate and reducing treatment thresholds in order to achieve the global strategic goal of eliminating hepatitis B as soon as possible as a public health threat.
世界卫生组织于2016年发布《全球卫生部门战略》，明确提出在2030年实现降低90%的HBV新发感染率和降低65%的HBV相关死亡率。而目前全球的慢性HBV感染者仍有2.96亿，每年有近90万人死于HBV感染所致肝硬化及肝癌等。慢性HBV感染者抗病毒治疗可以有效抑制HBV复制，减轻肝脏炎症坏死、有效阻断和逆转肝纤维化甚至早期肝硬化，从而减少肝硬化相关并发症、降低肝癌和肝病相关死亡率。尽管国内外指南对于慢性乙型肝炎抗病毒治疗的适应证均已逐步放宽，但仍有相当数量的慢性乙型肝炎患者因不符合现有标准而未能接受抗病毒治疗，因而导致进展为更严重的疾病。通过对乙型肝炎流行病学、抗病毒药物治疗效果及国内外的指南治疗标准进行分析，判断指南中关键指标变化，综合考虑抗病毒治疗的覆盖率及治疗标准，探索提高覆盖率及治疗阈值降低后疾病负担变化和成本效果，以期尽早实现消除乙型肝炎作为公共卫生危害的全球战略目标。.

The global chronic hepatitis B (CHB) guidelines have gradually expanded treatment indications in order to accelerate the elimination and improve the treatment rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This article analyzes the new treatment concepts for chronic hepatitis B at home and abroad from two aspects: expanding treatment by paying more attention to the long-term prognosis of the disease and maximizing the use of existing drugs in order to achieve the early goal of the World Health Organization\'s of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030.
为加速消除乙型肝炎病毒感染，提高乙型肝炎治疗率，全球慢性乙型肝炎指南逐渐扩大治疗适应证。该文从扩大治疗更关注疾病远期预后、最大化利用现有药物两方面分析了国内外慢性乙型肝炎治疗新理念，以期早日实现世界卫生组织\"2030年消除病毒性肝炎作为公共卫生危害\"的目标。.