Can We Beat Bacteria? – Dr. Eleftherios Mylonakis, the Charles C.J. Carpenter Professor of Infectious Disease at Brown University – Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Responses

Dr. Eleftherios Mylonakis, the Charles C.J. Carpenter Professor of Infectious Disease and Professor of Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University as well as Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Brown, delivers an in-depth overview discussing microbial pathogenesis and host responses.

Dr. Mylonakis is an infectious disease specialist who has brought his wealth of experience to multiple hospitals in the New England area, including Massachusetts General Hospital and Miriam Hospital. Dr. Mylonakis earned his medical degree from University of Athens and has been practicing medicine for over 20 years.

Dr. Mylonakis discusses his extensive work in infectious diseases and drug discovery. He explains the types of diseases, and their research in resistant bacteria, with special attention given to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which refers to a group of Gram-positive bacteria that are distinct, genetically, from other types/strains of Staphylococcus aureus. And MRSA, unfortunately, is resistant to numerous antibiotics. The research doctor discusses this particular bacteria, where it lives, and how it functions. As he states, our skin works as an effective barrier from this bacteria entering our bloodstream, but a scratch on the skin, and trauma from an accident, etc. can help the bacteria penetrate and then it can possibly spread through the bloodstream. Dr. Mylonakis explains how to identify virulence factors, and he expounds upon the current research regarding the microbiome, and how disruption could lead to colonization. Resistance traits are an important part of the research, and it is crucial to study the relationships.

The noted doctor talks in detail about diagnostics, and the time we wait for cultures, to understand what is going on. Most labs wait up to 5 days, which creates a difficult situation because time is of the essence in order to effectively treat toxicity and infection. Wrapping up, Dr. Mylonakis explains the process to treat infections after diagnostics.

In this podcast:

How to identify virulence factors

What types of bacteria are resistant to antibiotics

An explanation of microbial pathogenesis