Forget killer robots or zombies – the most plausible doomsday scenario in the next few decades is the so-called superbug, as infectious bacteria become increasingly resistant to our best antibiotics. Now, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have found that combining two antibiotics that no longer work can create a treatment that’s once...
Tag: <span>antibiotics</span>
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Scientists find that common dietary elements cure lethal infections, eliminating the need for antibiotics
Antibiotic use is driving an epidemic of antibiotic resistance, as more susceptible bacteria are killed but more resilient strains live on and multiply with abandon. But if antibiotics aren’t the end-all solution for infectious disease, what is? Salk scientists find that common dietary elements cure lethal infections, eliminating the need for antibiotics. From left: (front)...
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Depleting microbiome with antibiotics can affect glucose metabolism
A new study from the Salk Institute has found that mice that have their microbiomes depleted with antibiotics have decreased levels of glucose in their blood and better insulin sensitivity. The research has implications for understanding the role of the microbiome in diabetes. It also could lead to better insight into the side effects seen in people...
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New Study Shows Antibiotics Could Be Replaced With Viruses
Antibiotics have changed the world since their invention in the early 20th century, but their usefulness might be coming to an end. Bacteria are evolving resistances to most antibiotics, making these increasingly useless for fighting diseases. A new study gives hope that scientists can find an effective replacement for antibiotics: viruses. We often think of viruses as deadly...
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Chip Pairs Bacteria with Antibiotics to Spot Drug Resistance, Points to Best Therapy
Patients presenting with a bacterial infection can be surprisingly challenging to treat if drug resistance is present and/or if sepsis develops. Using the right antibiotic as early as possible, and identifying if the infection is resistant to the drugs, can often make the difference between life and death. Yet, the time it takes currently to...
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Poop transplants work as well as antibiotics to treat a common and deadly cause of diarrhea, and perhaps even better
Poop transplants work as well as antibiotics to treat a common and deadly cause of diarrhea, and perhaps even better, researchers reported Saturday. Their small and unusual study suggests that doctors should try fecal transplants right off when patients in the hospital get infected with Clostridium difficile, a frequent cause of diarrhea in frail and...
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Killing bacteria by silencing genes may be alternative to antibiotics
A new approach to killing C. difficile that silences key bacterial genes while sparing other bacteria may provide a new way to treat the most common hospital-acquired bacterial infection in the United States, according to researchers. This photograph depicts Clostridium difficile colonies after 48hrs growth on a blood agar plate; Magnified 4.8X. C. difficile, an anaerobic...
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Antibiotic breakthrough as scientists find class of drug that can kill the MRSA superbug
Brown University researchers discovered two compounds that can kill antibiotic-resistant MRSA bacteria in mice The discovery comes as over-prescription of antibiotics fuels growing concerns over resistance as a global health problem The new compounds are two of thousands of retinoids and others may treat MRSA too Researchers claim that bacteria are unlikely to become resistant...
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A moveable feast: Antibiotics give C. diff a nutrient-rich environment, no competition
Using a mouse model, researchers from North Carolina State University have found that antibiotic use creates a “banquet” for Clostridium difficile (C. diff), by altering the native gut bacteria that would normally compete with C. diff for nutrients. The findings could lead to the development of probiotics and other strategies for preventing C. diff infection. C. diff is a harmful bacterium that...
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Antibiotics could be key to relieving chronic bladder pain
Women suffering from recurrent cystitis or chronic bladder pain could benefit from a long-term course of antibiotics Antibiotics can successfully help rid a patient of chronic urinary tract infection symptoms. This is the finding of a new clinical study led by Sheela Swamy of University College London in the UK. The study in the International Urogynecology...