{"title":"The Past, Present, and Future of Genetic Manipulation in Human Fungal Pathogen Talaromyces marneffei","authors":"Tanaporn Wangsanut, M. Pongpom","doi":"10.33165/rmj.2024.47.1.266695","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33165/rmj.2024.47.1.266695","url":null,"abstract":"The fungus Talaromyces marneffei has been discovered and its pathogenicity to humans has been recognized for over sixty years. The advances in organism-wide studies and the development of genetic manipulation tools contribute greatly to our current understanding of host-pathogen interactions. Several classes of genes have been identified to be involved in stress response, morphogenesis, and virulence based on the characterization of the generated mutants. Here, we summarize the main techniques for T. marneffei genetic manipulation, including chemical mutagenesis, insertional mutagenesis, homologous recombination-mediated gene replacement, knockdown methods, and the recent popular CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; Cas=CRISPR associated protein) technology. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique were determined from a historical perspective. We also describe potential strategies to improve the current genetics studies, such as the generation of new selection markers and genetically modified strains. The genetic approaches will continue to impact the studies of T. marneffei and can lead to the discovery of new diagnostic tools, drugs, and vaccines.","PeriodicalId":500652,"journal":{"name":"Ramathibodi Medical Journal","volume":" 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140381927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Khanthawong, Peeranut Vongthanayodh, Supattra Pruanjarern, Apichaya Taengrom, Kanchana Usuwanthim, Pachuen Potup, Y. Thongsri
{"title":"Antimicrobial Drug Susceptibility Test of Pythium insidiosum by Disc Diffusion Method","authors":"S. Khanthawong, Peeranut Vongthanayodh, Supattra Pruanjarern, Apichaya Taengrom, Kanchana Usuwanthim, Pachuen Potup, Y. Thongsri","doi":"10.33165/rmj.2024.47.1.267191","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33165/rmj.2024.47.1.267191","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Pythiosis is a life-threatening disease caused by the fungus-like organism Pythium insidiosum. It causes disease in both animals and humans. Amphotericin B antifungal is less effective because it lacks ergosterol, a drug target in the cell membrane.\u0000Objective: To evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility test of P. insidiosum isolated from human pythiosis by disc diffusion method.\u0000Methods: The antimicrobial drug susceptibility test by disc diffusion method was tested against 10 clinical isolated strains of P. insidiosum. Antimicrobial drugs comprise of 8 antibiotics (chloramphenicol, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, tetracycline, meropenem, oxacillin, and vancomycin) and 2 antifungal drugs (itraconazole and amphotericin B) which were included in the test.\u0000Results: Antimicrobial drugs susceptibility tests were performed on 10 clinically isolated strains of P. insidiosum. Six of them showed susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs. The cutaneous pythiosis strain (SIMI 8569) showed the highest number of susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents (chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, tetracycline, vancomycin, and itraconazole). In addition, 4 strains of P. insidiosum (M 29, SIMI 6666, SIMI 7873, and SIMI 2989-42) were not inhibited by all antimicrobial drugs.\u0000Conclusions: This result concluded that chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and itraconazole inhibited the mycelial growth of P. insidiosum better than the other drugs. The inhibition effects of these drugs were observed in 40% - 60% of the strains. Further experiments should be carried out to evaluate the tested drugs in various concentrations with other more susceptible methods to get more precise concentrations exposed to P. insidiosum isolates such as broth dilution or dilution assays.\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":500652,"journal":{"name":"Ramathibodi Medical Journal","volume":" 1138","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140382562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Feasibility of Implementing Telepractice Innovation for Speech-Language Pathologists in Thailand","authors":"Tipwaree Aueworakhunanan, Pitcharpa Dejket, Sudarat Phakkachok, Weerapat Punkla","doi":"10.33165/rmj.2024.47.1.266036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33165/rmj.2024.47.1.266036","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The speech clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital has been using telepractice for 2 years. These outcomes have clearly shown many benefits. It is a new system in Thailand that has not been studied in terms of innovation before.\u0000Objective: To explore the possibility of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Thailand implementing the telepractice innovation through a survey of their attitudes toward the characteristics, diffusion, and limitations of innovation.\u0000Methods: In this survey study, SLPs responded to a questionnaire. Data regarding SLPs’ attitudes toward telepractice innovation were collected and then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.\u0000Results: A total of 86 SLPs responded, who agreed characteristics, diffusion, and both were 54.66%, 45.34%, and 37.21%, respectively, most of them used telepractice. SLPs who used telepractice expressed limitations from patients at 52.24% and SLPs who did not use telepractice expressed limitations from systems at 47.36%.\u0000Conclusions: SLPs in Thailand equally expressed attitudes of agreement and disagreement toward the characteristics and diffusion of telepractice innovation. However, SLPs who used telepractice agreed more than those who did not. SLPs agreed on the characteristic of telepractice innovation, though not all of them agreed to the diffusion of telepractice. The limitations of telepractice innovation depended on SLPs’ telepractice experience, occurring from patients for SLPs who used telepractice, but from the system for SLPs who did not. Therefore, telepractice may be an option that can be used according to the needs of the patients and its appropriateness for specific situations.\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":500652,"journal":{"name":"Ramathibodi Medical Journal","volume":" 39","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140385270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}