Top Infectious Disease News Stories Week of October 3-October 10

The Center for Discovery and Innovation: Harnessing the Cutting Edge of Medical Science

The CDI is a member of Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH). The CDI translates current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients. The center has more than 34 laboratories and over 200 researchers and physician-scientists. They are dedicated to advancing scientific research in a variety of areas, including IDs, autoimmune disorders, and other acute and chronic diseases.

The center’s chief scientific officer David Perlin, PhD, provides some insights on the evolution of its antiviral program from its foundation in treating COVID-19 to addressing all pan-coronaviruses.

While AI has been used to identify potential drug candidates from libraries of promising molecules, investigators now claim a “global first” for applying AI to predict the mechanism of action of an investigational antibiotic. “A lot of AI use in drug discovery has been about searching chemical space, identifying new molecules that might be active,” said Regina Barzilay, PhD, a study¹ co-author and developer of the AI predictive system, DiffDock, Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, in a release² announcing the study publication.

Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) represent one of the most devastating complications of diabetes, responsible for significant patient suffering and immense healthcare costs worldwide. Up to half of all diabetic foot ulcers become infected, and roughly one in five severe cases lead to amputation—a life-altering outcome that carries a five-year mortality rate comparable to many forms of cancer. In Indonesia alone, more than one in ten adults live with diabetes, underscoring the urgent global need for new and effective treatments. Recce Pharmaceuticals aims to address this crisis through the development of R327G, a topical gel formulation from its innovative class of synthetic anti-infectives designed to act rapidly and resist bacterial adaptation.

On June 4, 2025, US Senators Bill Cassidy (LA) and Chris Van Hollen (MD) introduced S.1941, the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025, a bipartisan proposal to codify federal efforts aimed at eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Hepatitis C Elimination Program within 90 days of enactment and to deliver a national strategy and implementation plan within 180 days, including prioritization of high-burden populations, performance metrics, stakeholder engagement, and an advisory committee of clinicians, public health officials, patient advocates, and diagnostic manufacturers.¹

One of the ongoing mysteries is why multidrug-resistant Klebsiella is spreading in high-risk patients in the hospital setting, and also causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in elderly women in the community setting. Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella UTIs are a serious concern, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warning of a significant increase in antibiotic resistance, particularly against carbapenems.¹