Host defenses12 sources
Antimicrobial Metals
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Search: “antimicrobial”
Ranked matches across titles, topics, categories, and article introductions.
32 records in this view
Mechanisms7 sources
Antimicrobial Resistance
The ability of microorganisms to survive and replicate in the presence of antimicrobial agents — antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antiparasitic drugs — at concentrations that would normally inhibit or kill them. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is designated by the W…
Mechanisms7 sources
Amyloid-Beta
Amyloid-beta (Aβ) is a 36–43 amino acid peptide derived from the proteolytic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by beta-secretase (BACE1) and gamma-secretase. Its aggregation from soluble monomers into insoluble fibrillar plaques in the brain is the defining ne…
Mechanisms8 sources
Amyloid-Beta Aggregation
The process by which soluble amyloid-beta (Aβ) monomers assemble into neurotoxic oligomers and insoluble fibrillar plaques in the brain -- the defining neuropathological event of alzheimers disease. What distinguishes WikiBiome's treatment of this process from conventio…
Mechanisms3 sources
Beta-Lactamase
Beta-lactamases are bacterial enzymes that hydrolyze the beta-lactam ring of penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems, rendering them inactive. They are the most common mechanism of antibiotic resistance and a central concern in the antimicrobial resistance crisis. …
Metals6 sources
Bismuth
A heavy metal traditionally considered safe enough for over-the-counter gastrointestinal remedies (Pepto-Bismol, De-Nol), bismuth is re-emerging as a potent antimicrobial synergist. Its key property: Bi3+ competes with Fe3+ for binding sites on siderophores and bacteria…
Metals14 sources
Calcium
The most abundant mineral in the human body, with ~99% stored in bones and teeth. Calcium's biological significance extends far beyond structural support -- it is the universal second messenger in cell signaling, controlling neurotransmitter release, muscle contraction,…
Microorganisms6 sources
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a genus of obligate intracellular, Gram-negative bacteria with a unique biphasic developmental cycle. The genus includes three species pathogenic to humans: chlamydia trachomatis (STI and trachoma), C. pneumoniae (respiratory infections, atherosclerosis ass…
Diseases18 sources
Chronic Kidney Disease
A progressive loss of kidney function affecting approximately 850 million people worldwide (10–14% of adults), causing 1.2 million deaths annually. CKD is unique among diseases in this wiki because it occupies both sides of the metal-disease equation: heavy metals (Cd, …
Metals56 sources
Copper
An essential trace element with a striking dual nature: required for survival as a cofactor for critical enzymes (SOD1, cytochrome c oxidase, ceruloplasmin), yet toxic in excess through Fenton-like redox cycling and mis metallation of iron-sulfur clusters. Copper is ele…
Mechanisms3 sources
Defensins
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Mechanisms5 sources
Drug Repurposing
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Mechanisms3 sources
Efflux Pumps
Membrane-spanning protein complexes that actively export substrates from the bacterial cell, using energy from ATP hydrolysis or the proton motive force. In the context of metal-microbiome biology, efflux pumps serve a dual role that has profound clinical consequences: …
Microorganisms9 sources
Enterococcus faecalis
Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic coccus that inhabits the gastrointestinal tract, oral cavity, and genitourinary tract of humans. It is a commensal in the healthy gut at low abundance but is one of the most clinically significant opportu…
Mechanisms3 sources
Essential Oils
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Microorganisms7 sources
Flavonifractor
A Gram-positive obligate anaerobe in the family Ruminococcaceae (Clostridium cluster IV) whose defining metabolic activity is the degradation of dietary flavonoids — the very polyphenols that serve as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial agents. When Flavon…
Metals8 sources
Gallium
A group 13 post-transition metal (atomic number 31) with no known biological function in any organism — yet one of the most promising antimicrobial metals precisely because of what it cannot do. Ga3+ is nearly identical to Fe3+ in ionic radius (0.62 Å vs 0.645 Å) and co…
Reference0 sources
Glossary
Alphabetical definitions of specialist terms used throughout this wiki. Where a full concept page exists, the term links to it. --- AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) -- A ligand-activated transcription factor that senses microbial metabolites (especially indoles from tryp…
Microorganisms5 sources
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the most versatile probiotic species — found in fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, sourdough), the human gut, and the vaginal microbiome. It has the largest genome among Lactobacillus species (~3.3 Mb), encoding extensive stress toler…
Host defenses5 sources
Lactoferrin
An iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family that sequesters iron (and potentially other metals) from pathogens at mucosal surfaces and sites of inflammation. Lactoferrin is a key effector of nutritional immunity, complementing calprotectin's role in metal res…
Interventions29 sources
Low-Nickel Diet
Research summary — not medical advice. This page synthesizes published research on a mechanism-level intervention. It is not a clinical recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to diet, supplementation, or treatment.
Mechanisms22 sources
Mis-Metallation
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Mechanisms6 sources
Phage Therapy
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Microorganisms7 sources
Ruminococcus gnavus
A Gram-positive obligate anaerobe that has emerged as a pro-inflammatory pathobiont enriched across multiple disease states including crohns disease, depression, and multiple sclerosis. R. gnavus produces a species-specific inflammatory polysaccharide that activates int…
Microorganisms8 sources
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a unicellular budding fungus (ascomycete) ubiquitous in fermentation, brewing, bread-making, and increasingly used as a pharmaceutical probiotic (Hatoum et al. 2012). The strain S. boulardii (also called S. cerevisiae var. boulardii) is the m…
Host defenses5 sources
Siderophore Competition
Small, high-affinity iron-chelating molecules secreted by bacteria and fungi to scavenge ferric iron (Fe3+) from the environment. Siderophore competition is a fundamental ecological force in the gut microbiome: organisms with superior iron acquisition systems gain a dec…
Metals8 sources
Silver
A non-essential metal with a 5,000-year history of antimicrobial use, silver has re-emerged as a critical tool in the post-antibiotic era. What makes silver particularly interesting from a metallomics perspective is not that it kills bacteria -- many metals do -- but ho…
Mechanisms4 sources
Statins
This knowledge-base record is being expanded from WikiBiome’s evidence graph.
Clinical cautions6 sources
STOP: Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics for Gut Dysbiosis
Research summary -- not medical advice. This page synthesizes published research on why broad-spectrum antibiotics may worsen gut dysbiosis rather than correct it. This does NOT apply to life-threatening infections requiring antibiotic treatment. Consult a qualified hea…
Microorganisms4 sources
Streptococcus mutans
The primary architect of dental caries -- the most prevalent chronic infectious disease worldwide. S. mutans is a Gram-positive, facultative anaerobe that colonizes tooth surfaces and produces the acid-rich, metal-managed biofilms known as dental plaque. What sets this …
Mechanisms5 sources
Vitamin D
This knowledge-base record is being expanded from WikiBiome’s evidence graph.
Metals62 sources
Zinc
This knowledge-base record is being expanded from WikiBiome’s evidence graph.