Are We Losing The Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance
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There is new evidence that antibiotic resistance breaks through environmental and clinical boundaries. The authors of a new study say the data highlights the importance of reducing antibiotic use across all sectors if we are to reduce global antibiotic resistance.
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Antibiotics that kill gut bacteria also stop growth of new brain cells
Antibiotics strong enough to kill off gut bacteria can also stop the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, a section of the brain associated with memory, reports a new study in mice. Researchers also uncovered a clue to why -- a type of white blood cell seems to act as a communicator between the brain, the immune system, and the gut. Ref. Source 2x.
How bacteria survive antibiotic treatment
Multiresistant bacteria scientists around the world are working hard to win the battle against multi-resistant bacteria. A new publication now presents how even sensitive bacteria often manage to survive antibiotic treatment as so-called 'persister cells.' The comprehensive perspective on this phenomenon may help to improve current options of drug treatment and could even inspire the discovery of novel antibiotics targeting these notoriously difficult-to-treat persister bacteria. Ref. Source 5x.
Antibiotic resistance just became more complex
Bacteria that are susceptible to antibiotics can survive when enough resistant cells around them are expressing an antibiotic-deactivating factor. This new take on how the microbial context can compromise antibiotic therapy was just published by a team of microbiologists. Ref. Source 6w.
Chemists forge a new path in the search for antibiotics. Scientists have developed a novel chemical process that may lead to the creation of a new class of antibiotics. The discovery comes at a time when more types of bacteria are becoming resistant to existing antibiotics, increasing the occurrence of lethal infections. The ability to create new antibiotics would have significant ramifications for medical treatment and public health, said the researchers. Source 4h.
A friend of mine that's a nurse in the local hospital told me this started from doctors giving out antibiotics every time a patient came to them instead of letting them overcome their illness the hard way with some rest and juices. Over time the bugs developed an immunity to these antibiotics so they no longer work!
Antibiotic design strategy boosts odds against resistance development. A new rational drug design technique that uses a powerful computer algorithm to identify molecules that target different receptor sites on key cellular proteins could provide a new weapon in the battle against antibiotic resistance, potentially tipping the odds against the bugs. Source 7b.