Author: genixfertilitycare

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics—can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.

The study analyzed meconium samples from 105 infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within the first 72 hours of life between July 2024 and July 2025. The study was part of a multidisciplinary research project led by Professor Elias Iosifidis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, involving pediatric infectious disease specialists, neonatologists and molecular microbiology researchers.

Meconium, the first stool passed by newborns, was traditionally thought to be sterile. However, recent molecular studies have detected microbial genetic material in meconium samples, suggesting that the neonatal gut may be exposed to bacteria during pregnancy.

This early microbial exposure has been proposed as a potential contributor to the development of antibiotic resistance. ARGs have been detected in meconium samples, and their presence at this early stage may facilitate the spread of resistance through horizonal gene transfer between bacteria. Based on this, researchers screened the samples for 56 different resistance genes associated with commonly used antibiotics.

“This is the largest study of its kind exploring the effect of hospital environment on the collection of ARGs in the neonatal gut,” lead author Dr. Argyro Ftergioti said.

“We analyzed meconium samples within the first 72 hours of life to capture the earliest snapshot of microbial and genetic exposure in newborns. At this stage, the collection of resistance genes is mainly shaped by maternal transmission, delivery mode and very early hospital exposures.”

The most common genes detected were oqxA (in 98% of samples) and qnrS (96%), which have been associated with resistance to some commonly used antibiotics. The study also identified several genes encoding beta-lactamases, enzymes that break down widely used antibiotics.

Among these, the most prevalent were blaCTXM (55%), blaCMY (51%) and blaSHV (39%). Genes linked to resistance to carbapenems, a last-line class of antibiotics, were detected in 21% of samples. Each sample contained a median of eight resistance genes.

“This finding suggests that a pattern of ARGs is already established at this stage. The neonatal gut harbors a diverse resistome, and the presence of clinically important ARGs so early in life is concerning,” Dr. Ftergioti added.

“Although some ARGs were expected, their high prevalence across the majority of samples was striking—particularly for clinically critical genes offering carbapenem resistance.”

The study also identified associations between resistance genes and several maternal and neonatal factors. The presence of the msrA (macrolide-streptogramin resistance) gene was linked with maternal hospitalization during pregnancy, while a higher number of resistance genes was associated with central venous catheter placement within the first 24 hours of life.

Both findings likely reflect exposure to health care-associated microbes in hospital settings.

“Surprisingly, resuscitation shortly after birth was associated with fewer resistance genes. We would caution that this finding should be interpreted carefully, however, as it may reflect differences in early microbial exposure or other clinical factors,” Dr. Ftergioti noted.

Overall, the findings suggest that both maternal transmissions and early exposure to the hospital environment may contribute to the establishment of ARGs in the neonatal gut.

“While further research is needed to understand how early carriage of resistance genes affects microbiome development and infection risk, these findings highlight the importance of surveillance, infection prevention and control in neonatal care,” concluded Dr. Ftergioti.

Provided by
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics—can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.

The study analyzed meconium samples from 105 infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within the first 72 hours of life between July 2024 and July 2025. The study was part of a multidisciplinary research project led by Professor Elias Iosifidis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, involving pediatric infectious disease specialists, neonatologists and molecular microbiology researchers.

Meconium, the first stool passed by newborns, was traditionally thought to be sterile. However, recent molecular studies have detected microbial genetic material in meconium samples, suggesting that the neonatal gut may be exposed to bacteria during pregnancy.

This early microbial exposure has been proposed as a potential contributor to the development of antibiotic resistance. ARGs have been detected in meconium samples, and their presence at this early stage may facilitate the spread of resistance through horizonal gene transfer between bacteria. Based on this, researchers screened the samples for 56 different resistance genes associated with commonly used antibiotics.

“This is the largest study of its kind exploring the effect of hospital environment on the collection of ARGs in the neonatal gut,” lead author Dr. Argyro Ftergioti said.

“We analyzed meconium samples within the first 72 hours of life to capture the earliest snapshot of microbial and genetic exposure in newborns. At this stage, the collection of resistance genes is mainly shaped by maternal transmission, delivery mode and very early hospital exposures.”

The most common genes detected were oqxA (in 98% of samples) and qnrS (96%), which have been associated with resistance to some commonly used antibiotics. The study also identified several genes encoding beta-lactamases, enzymes that break down widely used antibiotics.

Among these, the most prevalent were blaCTXM (55%), blaCMY (51%) and blaSHV (39%). Genes linked to resistance to carbapenems, a last-line class of antibiotics, were detected in 21% of samples. Each sample contained a median of eight resistance genes.

“This finding suggests that a pattern of ARGs is already established at this stage. The neonatal gut harbors a diverse resistome, and the presence of clinically important ARGs so early in life is concerning,” Dr. Ftergioti added.

“Although some ARGs were expected, their high prevalence across the majority of samples was striking—particularly for clinically critical genes offering carbapenem resistance.”

The study also identified associations between resistance genes and several maternal and neonatal factors. The presence of the msrA (macrolide-streptogramin resistance) gene was linked with maternal hospitalization during pregnancy, while a higher number of resistance genes was associated with central venous catheter placement within the first 24 hours of life.

Both findings likely reflect exposure to health care-associated microbes in hospital settings.

“Surprisingly, resuscitation shortly after birth was associated with fewer resistance genes. We would caution that this finding should be interpreted carefully, however, as it may reflect differences in early microbial exposure or other clinical factors,” Dr. Ftergioti noted.

Overall, the findings suggest that both maternal transmissions and early exposure to the hospital environment may contribute to the establishment of ARGs in the neonatal gut.

“While further research is needed to understand how early carriage of resistance genes affects microbiome development and infection risk, these findings highlight the importance of surveillance, infection prevention and control in neonatal care,” concluded Dr. Ftergioti.

Provided by
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics—can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.

The study analyzed meconium samples from 105 infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within the first 72 hours of life between July 2024 and July 2025. The study was part of a multidisciplinary research project led by Professor Elias Iosifidis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, involving pediatric infectious disease specialists, neonatologists and molecular microbiology researchers.

Meconium, the first stool passed by newborns, was traditionally thought to be sterile. However, recent molecular studies have detected microbial genetic material in meconium samples, suggesting that the neonatal gut may be exposed to bacteria during pregnancy.

This early microbial exposure has been proposed as a potential contributor to the development of antibiotic resistance. ARGs have been detected in meconium samples, and their presence at this early stage may facilitate the spread of resistance through horizonal gene transfer between bacteria. Based on this, researchers screened the samples for 56 different resistance genes associated with commonly used antibiotics.

“This is the largest study of its kind exploring the effect of hospital environment on the collection of ARGs in the neonatal gut,” lead author Dr. Argyro Ftergioti said.

“We analyzed meconium samples within the first 72 hours of life to capture the earliest snapshot of microbial and genetic exposure in newborns. At this stage, the collection of resistance genes is mainly shaped by maternal transmission, delivery mode and very early hospital exposures.”

The most common genes detected were oqxA (in 98% of samples) and qnrS (96%), which have been associated with resistance to some commonly used antibiotics. The study also identified several genes encoding beta-lactamases, enzymes that break down widely used antibiotics.

Among these, the most prevalent were blaCTXM (55%), blaCMY (51%) and blaSHV (39%). Genes linked to resistance to carbapenems, a last-line class of antibiotics, were detected in 21% of samples. Each sample contained a median of eight resistance genes.

“This finding suggests that a pattern of ARGs is already established at this stage. The neonatal gut harbors a diverse resistome, and the presence of clinically important ARGs so early in life is concerning,” Dr. Ftergioti added.

“Although some ARGs were expected, their high prevalence across the majority of samples was striking—particularly for clinically critical genes offering carbapenem resistance.”

The study also identified associations between resistance genes and several maternal and neonatal factors. The presence of the msrA (macrolide-streptogramin resistance) gene was linked with maternal hospitalization during pregnancy, while a higher number of resistance genes was associated with central venous catheter placement within the first 24 hours of life.

Both findings likely reflect exposure to health care-associated microbes in hospital settings.

“Surprisingly, resuscitation shortly after birth was associated with fewer resistance genes. We would caution that this finding should be interpreted carefully, however, as it may reflect differences in early microbial exposure or other clinical factors,” Dr. Ftergioti noted.

Overall, the findings suggest that both maternal transmissions and early exposure to the hospital environment may contribute to the establishment of ARGs in the neonatal gut.

“While further research is needed to understand how early carriage of resistance genes affects microbiome development and infection risk, these findings highlight the importance of surveillance, infection prevention and control in neonatal care,” concluded Dr. Ftergioti.

Provided by
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics—can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.

The study analyzed meconium samples from 105 infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within the first 72 hours of life between July 2024 and July 2025. The study was part of a multidisciplinary research project led by Professor Elias Iosifidis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, involving pediatric infectious disease specialists, neonatologists and molecular microbiology researchers.

Meconium, the first stool passed by newborns, was traditionally thought to be sterile. However, recent molecular studies have detected microbial genetic material in meconium samples, suggesting that the neonatal gut may be exposed to bacteria during pregnancy.

This early microbial exposure has been proposed as a potential contributor to the development of antibiotic resistance. ARGs have been detected in meconium samples, and their presence at this early stage may facilitate the spread of resistance through horizonal gene transfer between bacteria. Based on this, researchers screened the samples for 56 different resistance genes associated with commonly used antibiotics.

“This is the largest study of its kind exploring the effect of hospital environment on the collection of ARGs in the neonatal gut,” lead author Dr. Argyro Ftergioti said.

“We analyzed meconium samples within the first 72 hours of life to capture the earliest snapshot of microbial and genetic exposure in newborns. At this stage, the collection of resistance genes is mainly shaped by maternal transmission, delivery mode and very early hospital exposures.”

The most common genes detected were oqxA (in 98% of samples) and qnrS (96%), which have been associated with resistance to some commonly used antibiotics. The study also identified several genes encoding beta-lactamases, enzymes that break down widely used antibiotics.

Among these, the most prevalent were blaCTXM (55%), blaCMY (51%) and blaSHV (39%). Genes linked to resistance to carbapenems, a last-line class of antibiotics, were detected in 21% of samples. Each sample contained a median of eight resistance genes.

“This finding suggests that a pattern of ARGs is already established at this stage. The neonatal gut harbors a diverse resistome, and the presence of clinically important ARGs so early in life is concerning,” Dr. Ftergioti added.

“Although some ARGs were expected, their high prevalence across the majority of samples was striking—particularly for clinically critical genes offering carbapenem resistance.”

The study also identified associations between resistance genes and several maternal and neonatal factors. The presence of the msrA (macrolide-streptogramin resistance) gene was linked with maternal hospitalization during pregnancy, while a higher number of resistance genes was associated with central venous catheter placement within the first 24 hours of life.

Both findings likely reflect exposure to health care-associated microbes in hospital settings.

“Surprisingly, resuscitation shortly after birth was associated with fewer resistance genes. We would caution that this finding should be interpreted carefully, however, as it may reflect differences in early microbial exposure or other clinical factors,” Dr. Ftergioti noted.

Overall, the findings suggest that both maternal transmissions and early exposure to the hospital environment may contribute to the establishment of ARGs in the neonatal gut.

“While further research is needed to understand how early carriage of resistance genes affects microbiome development and infection risk, these findings highlight the importance of surveillance, infection prevention and control in neonatal care,” concluded Dr. Ftergioti.

Provided by
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

A landmark trial presented at ESCMID Global 2026 shows that improving oral hygiene for hospital patients can reduce the risk of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) by 60%.

The study, involving over 8,000 patients, is the only multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) in a hospital setting to evaluate this approach and the largest RCT in this setting to date.

NV-HAP is a form of pneumonia that develops at least 48 hours after hospital admission in patients who are not receiving mechanical ventilation. It is a common health care-associated infection linked to longer hospital stays, higher health care costs and increased mortality.

Despite occurring more frequently and being equally as dangerous as ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), it has historically received far less research attention.

To address this gap, researchers conducted the Hospital Acquired Pneumonia Prevention (HAPPEN) Study, a multicenter, stepped-wedge cluster RCT across nine wards in three Australian hospitals over a 12-month period, concluding in August 2025. Each ward introduced the intervention every three months. In total, 8,870 patients were included in the study, of whom 4,347 were in wards during the intervention period.

In the intervention phase, patients were provided on admission with a toothbrush, toothpaste, educational materials and access to additional online resources. Health care staff received onsite training, access to online resources and practical support to improve the delivery of oral care. Control was usual practice.

The program led to a substantial improvement in oral hygiene practices among hospital patients. The proportion of patients receiving oral care increased from 15.9% in the control to 61.5% in the intervention, with audits showing oral care was undertaken an average of 1.5 times per day.

Importantly, exposure to the intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction in NV-HAP risk. Incidence fell from 1.00 to 0.41 cases per 100 admission days-at-risk – representing an approximately 60% reduction.

“One of the most encouraging findings from this study was the scale of improvement we were able to achieve,” commented lead study author Professor Brett Mitchell, Avondale University, Australia.

“Through earlier work, we identified several barriers in hospitals, including limited access to suitable products, low awareness of the link with pneumonia and competing clinical priorities. By addressing these through education, practical resources and conversations with patients on admission, we were able to substantially increase oral care in hospital wards.”

Explaining why improved oral hygiene can reduce pneumonia risk, Professor Mitchell said, “Typically, NV-HAP is the result of fluids from the mouth or throat entering the lungs, with hospital-associated respiratory pathogens more frequently detected in patients who are unable to clear oral secretions.

These infections are thought to arise largely from a patient’s own microbiota rather than person-to-person transmission. Improving oral hygiene helps reduce these pathogens in the mouth, potentially lowering the risk of subsequent infection.”

Looking ahead, Professor Mitchell commented, “Guidelines already recognize the role of oral care in preventing NV-HAP, but the evidence supporting these recommendations has been limited. Our study now provides robust evidence from a hospital setting. The next step is to better understand how structured programs can be effectively implemented and sustained across hospital wards.”

Provided by
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

A major study presented at ESCMID Global 2026 has found that antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces accelerated biological aging in people with HIV (PWH) by nearly four years, a finding that could transform how clinicians monitor HIV treatment and long-term health outcomes.

Researchers developed a plasma proteomic aging clock (PAC)—a tool that estimates biological age, reflecting physiological aging rather than chronological age—using patterns across hundreds of blood proteins. The model was applied to participants in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS).

The PAC was trained on 941 plasma samples from PWH receiving successful ART and then evaluated in an independent cohort of 80 participants who contributed 294 longitudinal samples spanning viremic pre-ART infection (when HIV was detectable in the blood) and suppressive post-ART phases.

During untreated HIV infection, the PAC estimated that participants’ biological age was accelerated by a median of 10 years. After a median duration of 1.55 years of ART, researchers observed a statistically significant mean reduction of 3.7 years in proteomic age (95% CI 2.7 to 4.7; p = 0.0001).

Trajectory analyses showed that proteomic age continued to move closer to chronological age with longer ART exposure, suggesting ongoing biological recovery with sustained treatment.

Previous research suggests that PWH may experience accelerated biological aging, which is linked to chronic inflammation and a higher risk of age-related conditions including coronary disease, underscoring the clinical urgency of these findings.

“This research demonstrates the importance of early start and optimal adherence to ART,” commented lead study author Dr. Barry Ryan, a postdoctoral researcher at EPFL, Switzerland.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have a unique group from the SHCS who had samples collected for up to eight years before they started ART. With this group, we have measured the effect of untreated HIV infection and successful ART on telomere shortening, epigenetic aging and now proteomic aging. In each case, we have shown that uncontrolled HIV infection is linked to faster aging and that ART significantly slows this.”

The PAC primarily captures changes in inflammatory signaling and drug metabolomic pathways. When compared with the team’s previously published epigenetic aging clock (EAC) in the same cohort, both clocks showed similar overall trends.

However, the PAC was more sensitive to short-term immune changes, showing a faster increase during untreated infection and a more rapid decline once detectable HIV in the blood (viremia) was suppressed with ART.

Importantly, the reversal of proteomic age acceleration after ART was not significantly associated with CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T-cell count recovery, suggesting that the reversal reflects broader inflammatory and innate immune remodeling rather than T-cell reconstitution alone.

“Our findings support the current consensus for starting ART promptly after HIV diagnosis,” explained Dr. Ryan. “The participants were closely monitored pre-ART, including CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts. Nonetheless, we observed accelerated proteomic aging irrespective of T-cell homeostasis, with acceleration already occurring nearest the time of HIV diagnosis.”

The authors call for external validation of the PAC in more diverse global populations and for proteome-wide feature attribution studies to pinpoint the specific pathways driving HIV-related aging biology.

“While specific pathways of reversal may vary by ancestry and population, the global trend of accelerated aging with untreated HIV and its attenuation after virological suppression is likely to generalize,” Dr. Ryan added.

Provided by
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients.

Barriers to innovation are often higher in illicit or restricted markets, including cannabis, stem cells and cryptocurrencies. Researchers face higher costs, limited access to raw materials and data, and stricter regulations.

Cannabis illustrates a particularly confusing tension between regulatory restrictions on one hand and research and innovation on the other.

While the U.S. federal government still classifies cannabis as having “no accepted medical use,” many states have legalized it for medical or recreational use. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services obtained a cannabis-related patent in 2003 covering potential medical uses of cannabis compounds for protecting the brain from damage or degeneration. The patent was exclusively licensed for commercialization.

Research and innovation on cannabis can take many forms. Clinical trials may study cannabis products as medical treatments, the effects of cannabis on its users, or factors related to abuse and dependence. Meanwhile, cannabis-related patents can be filed for wide-ranging purposes, such as chemical formulations, methods for production or new consumer products like edibles, beverages or vaporizers.

But do these innovations actually benefit consumers and patients?

We are economists studying how institutional changes affect innovation in different markets. Our recently published research found that legalization of recreational cannabis use appears to spur innovation, but primarily in ways that expand commercial opportunities rather than scientific understanding or health benefits for patients.

Cannabis’ evolving legality in the US

Cannabis is a plant that contains chemical compounds called cannabinoids. One such compound, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, produces psychoactive effects, while another compound called cannabidiol, or CBD, is often used to relieve anxiety and pain. However, there has been insufficient evidence on how effective cannabis products are in treating medical conditions, as well as a lack of consistent medical and dosing guidance.

At the federal level in the U.S., cannabis has been classified as a Schedule I drug for over a half-century. This classification indicates that the federal government considers cannabis to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.

As a Schedule I drug, there are significant restrictions on cannabis research. Researchers who seek to conduct cannabis-related clinical trials must obtain approval from both the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration, a process that can take over a year. They are also limited to using select varieties of cannabis obtained from federally authorized cannabis suppliers, and are generally prohibited from studying products available in state-authorized markets.

There are ongoing pushes to relax these restrictions. Meanwhile, cannabis has been legalized to varying extents in many states. California became the first state to pass a medical cannabis law in 1996, allowing qualified patients to grow, possess and use cannabis for medical purposes. Many states followed suit in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As of June 2025, 40 states allow medical cannabis use.

A number of states also allow recreational or nonmedical cannabis use among adults, which is regulated in similar ways to alcohol. Colorado and Washington enacted the first recreational cannabis laws in 2012, and there are 24 states that permit adults to use cannabis recreationally as of January 2026.

Altogether, the legal landscape for cannabis in the U.S. has varied considerably across states and over time. States with more permissive laws can lower the costs of medical research and product development with cannabis, even if federal drug scheduling continues to restrict access. For instance, one group of Washington State University researchers asked participants to independently purchase and smoke cannabis from a legal dispensary before returning to their lab for study.

State legalization and cannabis innovation

To systematically examine how state legalization affects cannabis-related innovation, we compiled and analyzed datasets tracking cannabis-related clinical trials and patent applications.

We distinguished different types of cannabis-related innovation. Specifically, we categorized cannabis-related clinical trials based on whether they focused on its potential as a treatment, its usage and effects, or its role in drug abuse. Similarly, we categorized cannabis-related patents based on whether they focused on chemical compounds, medical uses, methods or products.

We also assessed public health concerns across three measures: patents explicitly involving THC; patents with a high risk of misuse; and patents targeting consumers directly, such as high-potency formulations, edibles or vaporizers.

Then, we compared changes in cannabis-related innovation over time in states that legalized cannabis earlier with those in states that did so later or not at all. We measured innovation by counting the number of cannabis-related clinical trials and patent filings. We distinguished between medical and recreational legalization to assess how different policies affect innovation.

Overall, we found that when states legalize cannabis for recreational use, cannabis-related patents increase—but mostly in commercial-oriented areas rather than health-focused ones. Patents were concentrated in market-oriented innovations like cultivation equipment and consumer products, rather than in clinical or science-based research. We also found some evidence that these innovations may raise public health concerns.

Legalization did not result in meaningful increases in clinical trials. This suggests that barriers to cannabis-related clinical research—such as limited access to research-grade cannabis, limited funding and stigma around working with a federally controlled substance—remain substantial.

Gaps between research and product

As 420—signifying April 20, a day celebrating cannabis culture—approaches each year, public attention turns toward the legal status of cannabis.

The legal landscape has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, and further changes are in the pipeline. Both the Biden and second Trump administrations have made efforts to reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III substance, which would indicate that it has an accepted medical use and low-to-moderate potential for dependence.

These reevaluations of the legality of cannabis come at a critical time. There has been an explosion of recreational cannabis products in recent years, including increasingly potent strains and a wider variety of ways to use cannabis. Meanwhile, critical research on the health and safety of cannabis use has lagged due to heavy restrictions accompanying Schedule I status.

This gap between medical research and product innovation can have significant public health consequences. The 2019 to 2020 outbreak of lung injuries related to e-cigarette or vape use was linked partly to the use of unregulated or illicit cannabis vaping products. These harms highlight the risks of allowing product innovation for controlled substances to outpace scientific understanding.

Policies that significantly reduce obstacles to clinical research can in turn help close the widening gap between cannabis markets and addressing their public health implications.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.