Annual Congress on Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance December 06-07, 2018
Hotel Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport, Netherlands

Biography:

Carlie Skellington is a MPH candidate at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health studying epidemiology and humanitarian assistance. She graduated with honors from Lehigh University in 2015 with a B.S. in Biology, during which she worked in Dr. Jill Schneider’s neuroendocrinology laboratory and completed her independent thesis research project on asesssing environmentally-induced variability of morphological, ingestive, and reproductive traits in the male Syrian hamster based on living conditions (group-housed vs. singly-housed). Carlie has also worked within a sustainable development lab, during which she helped design and develop a phytopurifier that degrades common indoor home air pollutants within Pennsylvania, USA.

Abstract:

From misunderstanding to misuse of antimicrobials, Uganda experiences high rates of resistance to antimicrobials that are heavily relied upon to treat prevalent infections, including pneumonias, bacterial meningitis, and respiratory infections. Prior literature suggests seasonal periodicity of bacterial infections, typically with increased prevalence when higher temperature and lower humidity. Unfortunately, Uganda has yet to implement a national, systematic AMR surveillance system. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to identify AMR seasonality trends (rainy vs. dry season) among isolates collected by MNRH’s Microbiology Laboratory in Kampala, Uganda. Demographic variables and antibiotic sensitivity (S/I/R) for positive cultures were assessed via laboratory chart review of blood specimen (n=552), CSF isolates (n=742), and culture swabs (n=508) from patients treated between January and December, 2017. Controls were selected via systematic sampling of negative cultures. Two-tailed chi-square tests compared frequencies of antibiotic use and sensitivities. Average monthly rainfall and humidity were retrieved from IAMAT. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics included SXT, TE, CTX, AMP, and C. Blood isolates and culture swabs did not show differences in AMR according to season at the 5% significance level. Resistance within CSF cultures, however, differed significantly by season, showing a 22% greater risk of resistant strains identified during rainy months than during dry months (c2=4.19, p=0.04, RR=1.22). Based on preliminary analysis, AMR trends within CSF cultures appear to mirror Kampala’s seasonal patterns. Multivariate regression analysis may account for potential selection bias and confounding. Results warrant additional AMR research in order to improve surveillance and better inform practitioner prescription habits.

Biography:

Giulio Tarro graduated from Medicine School, Naples University (1962). Research Associate, Division of Virology and Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital (1965-1968), Assistant Professor of Research Pediatrics, College Medicine (1968-1969), Cincinnati University, Ohio. Oncological Virology Professor, Naples University (1972-1985). Chief Division Virology (1973-2003), Head Department Diagnostic Laboratories, (2003-2006). D. Cotugno Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Naples; Emeritus, 2006 -. Since 2007 Chairman Committee of Biotechnologies and VirusSphere, World Academy Biomedical Technologies, UNESCO, Adjunct Professor Department Biology, Temple University, College of Science and Technology, Philadelphia, recipient of the Sbarro Health Research Organization lifetime achievement award (2010). His researches have been concerned with the characterization of specific virus-induced tumour antigens, which were the "finger-prints" left behind in human cancer. Achievements include patents in field; discovery of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in infant deaths in Naples and of tumor liberated protein as a tumor associated antigen, 55 kilodalton protein overexpressed in lung tumors and other epithelial adenocarcinomas.

Abstract:

Tumor liberated protein (TLP) has been previously described as a TAA (complex) present in the sera from lung cancer patients with early stage disease.

Since early detection improves overall survival in lung cancer, identification of screening biomarkers for patients at risk for the development of this disease represents an important target. Starting from the peptide epitope RTNKEASI previously isolated from TLP complexes, we generated a rabbit anti-RTNKEASI serum. This antiserum detected and immunoprecipitated a 55kDa protein band in the lysate of the lung cancer cell line A549. This protein band was identified as aldehyde dehydrogenase isoform 1A1 through mass spectrometry, revealing the molecular nature of at least one component of the previously described TLP complex. Next, we screened a cohort of 29 lung cancer patients (all histologies), 17 patients with non-neoplastic lung pathologies and 9 healthy donors for the presence of serum ALDH1A1 and global serum ALDH by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This analysis indicated that the presence of ALDH was highly restricted to patients with lung cancer. Interestingly, the global ALDH test detected more lung cancer patients compared to the ALDH1A1-specific test, suggesting that other ALDH isoforms might add to the sensitivity of the assay. Our data suggest that ALDH levels may therefore be evaluated as part of a marker panel for lung cancer screening.

Finally, the ability of the immune system to recognize a TAA, enables the development of a vaccine approach for preventive and therapeutic application and represents a main target of this field of research.

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Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and in Medical Quality (CMQ) by The American Board of Medical Quality (ABMQ). Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belted. Recipient of the Quality Leadership Award from the World Quality Congress and Awards and the Business Leadership Excellence Award from World Leadership Congress in 2015.

Abstract:

Antimicrobial resistance is increasing, and antimicrobial stewardship is of the utmost importance to optimize the use of antimicrobials to prevent the development of resistance and improve patient outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared antimicrobial resistance a global health issue. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that each year in the United States approximately 2 million people develop an infection that is resistant to antibiotics and about 23,000 of these people die because of the infection. The program for antibiotic stewardship should involve infection prevention professionals, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, trainees, patients, and families. Patients and families are included as part of the program to ensure they understand the importance of compliance with antibiotic treatment. Included as part of the program is the need for proper use of antibiotics for prophylaxis in addition to properly prescribing antibiotics for infections. Implementing an antibiotic stewardship program takes time and resources. To gain hospital wide acceptance and increase success for the program, formal implementation is recommended as well as leadership support for staffing, technical, and financial resources. Antimicrobial stewardship incorporation in caregiver daily practice, can improve patient safety and care, reduce the unnecessary use of valuable resources, and reduce resistance.

Biography:

Dr. Omar F. Khan is Chief Scientist of Tiba Biotech and the lead inventor of Tiba’s disruptive RNA delivery technology.  His expertise includes nanomaterial-based nucleic acid delivery systems, vaccination nanotechnology, organic chemistry and manufacturing. He is equally skilled in biomaterial synthesis, tissue engineering, reactor design, process engineering, translational research models, and scale-up production.  Omar is widely published on topics at the interface of materials and life science and has been cited over 1000 times. He holds a B.A.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto, where he was cross-appointed with the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering. Prior to founding Tiba, Omar conducted his postdoctoral research in the labs of Robert Langer and Daniel Anderson at MIT.  Omar leads delivery platform development and manufacturing design, drawing upon a wide breadth of scientific and leadership experience from multiple sectors, including academia, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and water treatment.

Abstract:

To combat orphaned indications, sudden outbreaks, evolving pathogens and biosecurity threats, Tiba Biotech has developed a fully synthetic replicon mRNA platform for the rapid design and scalable manufacture of vaccines that generate protective cellular (T cell) and humoral (antibody) responses against a range of diseases. The technology consists of two major components: an engineered antigen-expressing replicon mRNA payload capable of finite, controlled self-replication that induces potent interferon responses, and a chemically-defined modified dendrimer-based delivery material.  The engineering advances embodied in this vaccine platform delivery technology include: (1) thermostable components that facilitate a straightforward self-assembly process.  This capability reproducibly yields synthetic adjuvant-free mRNA nanoparticles of uniform size and shape, thus enabling rapid formulation of the drug product; (2) creation of stable nanoparticles that do not expose or release the replicon mRNA extracellularly, which would prematurely activate innate immunity and shut down the ability to express the exogenous mRNA; (3) a large, flexible payload capacity for multiplexing, which is the co-delivery of multiple large nucleic acid molecules in a single nanoparticle, thus enabling the simultaneous transport of complex or multiple subunit antigens and potentially the induction of cross-protective immunity to multiple strain sequences; and (4) an ionizable nature to prevent cytotoxicity and a systemic increase in inflammatory cytokines.  Demonstrative of this platform’s broad utility, it has been used to generate protective immunity in multiple lethal challenge models, including Ebola virus, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis, H1N1, Toxoplasma gondii and HPV-induced cancer. Additionally, candidate vaccines have been developed against Zika virus and parasitic flatworms.  Furthermore, early delivery material safety studies in nonhuman primates and livestock animals showed no reactogenicity, highlighting its tolerability and potential for both clinical translation and animal health.