Thanks for the question, as this is something we think about every day in my lab. Superbugs such as MRSA are not resistant to all of the drugs that we have, but they are resistant to many. If you give a patient with an MRSA infection a drug which the bacteria is resistant to, this gives the bacteria time to develop and spread and make the infection worse, and make it that much harder to get rid of. It is impossible to tell from looking at a wound what bacteria is causing it, and doctors generally prescribe what we call a broad spectrum antibiotic, and often a swab is taken and sent to the lab for further testing. this broad spectrum antibiotic is capable of killing many types of bacteria. the lab then identifies not only what bacteria is causing the infection but what it is resistant to.
Over time, and with exposure to what antibiotics we currently have, bacteria are evolving to become resistant to them. Every year, the number of strains which have become resistant to another drug increases.
Bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, because they have evolved pumps which can recognise many things and pump them back outside the cell where they are harmless. this includes antibiotics. Some bacteria can even swap genes back and forth to spread resistance they have developed.
What we work on in my lab, is looking at targeting the nutrient intake systems for the bacteria instead. We hope to one day either block their ability to take in essential nutrients or design a drug that looks like nutrients so they wont have any mechanisms to pump it out, as it will think it is an essential nutrient
It’s important to note that this is all within the human body. Outside of the body, most superbugs are easily killed by ethanol or a strong soap/disinfectant. This is why it is so important to practice good hygeine, especially in hospitals where superbugs love to lurk.
Thanks for the question, as this is something we think about every day in my lab. Superbugs such as MRSA are not resistant to all of the drugs that we have, but they are resistant to many. If you give a patient with an MRSA infection a drug which the bacteria is resistant to, this gives the bacteria time to develop and spread and make the infection worse, and make it that much harder to get rid of. It is impossible to tell from looking at a wound what bacteria is causing it, and doctors generally prescribe what we call a broad spectrum antibiotic, and often a swab is taken and sent to the lab for further testing. this broad spectrum antibiotic is capable of killing many types of bacteria. the lab then identifies not only what bacteria is causing the infection but what it is resistant to.
Over time, and with exposure to what antibiotics we currently have, bacteria are evolving to become resistant to them. Every year, the number of strains which have become resistant to another drug increases.
Bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, because they have evolved pumps which can recognise many things and pump them back outside the cell where they are harmless. this includes antibiotics. Some bacteria can even swap genes back and forth to spread resistance they have developed.
What we work on in my lab, is looking at targeting the nutrient intake systems for the bacteria instead. We hope to one day either block their ability to take in essential nutrients or design a drug that looks like nutrients so they wont have any mechanisms to pump it out, as it will think it is an essential nutrient
It’s important to note that this is all within the human body. Outside of the body, most superbugs are easily killed by ethanol or a strong soap/disinfectant. This is why it is so important to practice good hygeine, especially in hospitals where superbugs love to lurk.
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