Eberl, S. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2023

Comparison of antibiotic protein binding in human plasma vs. rabbit plasma

Rabbits are frequently used for the examination of the pharmacokinetics and effectiveness of antibiotic substances. However, antibiotics vary substantially in protein binding affecting the concentration of the antimicrobially effective unbound drug. We hypothesized that the binding properties of vancomycin, meropenem and ceftriaxone might vary between human and rabbit plasma. In an in-vitro study we observed dose dependent variability in protein binding of antibiotics between species. Thus, in-vitro-pre-studies are required to guarantee for translational conditions.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2020

Positive selection of ORF3a and ORF8 genes drives the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

In this study, we analyzed full-length SARS-CoV-2 genomes from multiple countries to determine early trends in the evolutionary dynamics of the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated SARS-CoV-2 evolved early into at least three phylogenetic groups, characterized by positive selection at specific residues of the accessory proteins OFR3a and ORF8a. We also report evidence of epistatic interactions among sites in the genome that may be important in the generation of variants adapted to humans. These observations might impact not only public health, but also suggest more studies are needed to understand the genetic mechanisms that may affect the development of therapeutic and preventive tools, like antivirals and vaccines.

evolutionary biology↗