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Potential Cure For Antibiotic Resistant Infections

Posted by kdawson on from the early-days-but-promising dept.

kpw10 writes to let us know about research to be published this week that offers hope in the battle against multi-drug-resistant bacteria. "Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered that two drugs used to treat bone loss in old folks can both kill and short-circuit the 'sex life' of antibiotic-resistant bacteria blamed for nearly 100,000 hospital deaths across the country each year."

4 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Re:short term solution by wytcld · · Score: 4, Informative

    You didn't read the whole article. The drugs were initially tested for the property of blocking the transfer of genes for multiple drug resistance. But they were surprised to find that it specifically killed those bacteria which had already received the upgrade package. Multiple drug resistance is evidently a specific trick - not multiple resistances to multiple drugs, but a single resistance mechanism that blocks nearly all drugs, and that can be passed from one species of bacteria to others. These newly-tested but available drugs kill any bacteria which have adopted that mechanism.

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    "with their freedom lost all virtue lose" - Milton
  2. Bacteria != viruses by mattcasters · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just a nitpick, but anti-biotics don't really help fight against viruses.

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    1. Re:Bacteria != viruses by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Informative

      In cases of a viral infection, antibiotics are prescribed to wipe out bacteria that keep the immune system tied up and busy.

      Huh? That's not even wrong. There is no reason to use antibiotics in a viral infection. Period. Now, there are a couple of real life caveats to this: Firstly, viral infections can alter host defenses (usually by trashing the lining of the respiratory system - essentially making holes in it - which allow bacteria to invade. The classic case is Haemophilus Influenza pneumonia that occurs after an influenza infection. Secondly and more commonly, a doctor may not know if the infection is viral or bacterial and antibiotics are often (likely too often) added empirically.

      But bacteria "don't keep the immune system busy".

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  3. Re:For a change, this is actually interesting. by The+Elephant · · Score: 4, Informative

    This article provides a more thorough and scientific explanation. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/07070 9171636.htm