Do Kinesio tapes increase the skin exposure to pathogenic bacteria?

BACKGROUND: Kinesio tapes (KTs) are tapes used in physical therapy and athletics. We sought to evaluate if wearing KTs for extended periods of time increases exposure to antibiotic resistant opportunistic pathogens and/or effects normal human skin bacteria. METHODS: The study consisted of 10 volunteers wearing 9 KTs on their arms for 5 consecutive days. Microorganisms were isolated from fragments collected on the second and fifth day then analyzed. Bacteria were identified using the BIOLOG system. Resistance to selected antibiotics was performed using E-Test. The effect of KTs on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Micrococcus luteus was evaluated in a diffusion-based assay. RESULTS: We found that KTs accumulated environmental bacteria. Among 22 species 8 were opportunistic pathogens, and all of them exhibited resistance to at least one antibiotic. None of the tapes produced inhibition zones against S. aureus. One tape, Leukotape P, caused growth inhibition in non-pathogenic S. epidermidis and M. luteus. The adhesive material of the tapes inhibited the growth of all tested bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that KTs may increase the exposure to antibiotic resistant pathogens which can accumulate from the environment. Further, extended exposure could lead to changes in normal skin microbiota, potentially contributing to increased risks of skin infections.

Are ball pits located in physical therapy clinical settings a source of pathogenic microorganisms?

Clinical, therapeutic ball pits commonly used by physical therapists to provide sensory stimulation to children were investigated for microbial colonization. Due to the permissive and hospitable environment provided by these ball pits, microorganisms can accumulate to levels that increase the ease of transmission toexposed individuals. Our study found considerable microbial colonization in ball pits located in clinical settings, including 8 opportunistic pathogenic bacteria and 1 opportunistic pathogenic yeast.

Synthesis and biological activity of fused tetracyclic Pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines.

Cancer remains the second major cause of death in the world. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify potential synthetic route for the development of novel anticancer agents which will serve as lead compounds to effectively combat this life-threatening epidemic. Pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepines (PBDs) have sparked a great interest as lead compounds because of their cancerostatic and anti-infective properties. The twisted molecular structure of PBD analogs provides both helical and chiral elements. In an effort to expand novel PBDs that interact with the key exocyclic amino group of the DNA-guanine base, we hypothesized that construction of a fused cyclic active system, would likely serve as an electrophilic site when compared to traditional electrophilic C11-N10 imine group. To examine our theory, we report herein the synthesis and cell viability/cytotoxicity of a series of PBD analogs using NCI-60 cell lines screening. Thus, compounds 1-13 were synthesized and fully characterized. The selected PBDs were found to have marginal inhibition of growth, up to 30%, for certain cell lines.