Bacteria, fungi, pathogens. Three types of infections that can have vastly varied impacts on the human body and present an ongoing challenge to doctors and medical staff worldwide.
The twentieth century saw a rapid evolution in infection treatment options – with the discovery of penicillin proving a pivotal moment in the fight against bugs. In recent times, however, the bugs have started to fight back – with antibiotic-resistant superbugs such as MRSA becoming increasingly dangerous.
For those completing online DNP programs, understanding the work being done to tackle the superbug crisis can provide a glimpse of how medical treatment may evolve in the future. Let’s explore the world of new medicine – and how researchers are turning to the ocean in the hopes of unlocking new cures against infections.
When Microbes Fight Back
Feeling unwell is never a pleasant experience – whether it’s the aches and pains, the gunk and the goo our body puts out to fight illness, or the broader lack of energy, being unwell is a feeling that most of us would prefer to forget.
Being ill is a remarkably common thing, even in today’s modern world. In urbanized environments, something as little as a sneeze on a train can often lead to the widespread distribution of illnesses.
Finding cures and remedies is often a part of the journey from being sick to feeling better, and for some people, fighting illness can be challenging. Although antibiotics are usually presented as effective cures for infections, they have unfortunately garnered a reputation for being perceived as a cure-all. Antibiotics are often misused in a futile effort to treat viral conditions such as the common cold.
As a result of excessive use of antibiotics, the infections that were once susceptible to them are now becoming resistant to their treatment. Increasingly, infections are emerging that cannot be treated through antibiotics, such as MRSA – presenting a major challenge for healthcare professionals worldwide.
Image by Alex P from Pexels
The Superbug Crisis
The scale of antibiotic resistance cannot and should not be underestimated. Recent data from the World Health Organization highlighted just how substantial the emerging superbug challenge is. Estimates project that antimicrobial resistance (the pool of medications that includes antibiotics) will cost the global economy more than a trillion dollars a year over the next decade.
Finding new ways to treat antibiotic-resistant superbugs is not simply wishful thinking. In fact, researchers around the world are exploring new potential treatments in the hopes of supporting or even replacing the limited treatment options that exist for superbugs. With deaths attributable to superbugs projected to kill nearly forty million people globally over the next quarter century, finding ways to treat antibiotic-resistant infections more effectively could potentially save millions of lives.
Oyster Blood Shows Promise
So, where does one turn when looking for a cure? Antibiotic research can take many forms, with researchers and labs from around the world often collaborating to identify and discover potential cures.
For a group of researchers in Australia, understanding how other species fight infections has become a key element of their research. These discoveries on how the animal kingdom manages to mitigate infection provide a glimpse into potential treatment options – and recently, their work into the humble oyster has yielded remarkable results.
With more than two billion oysters eaten annually, oysters are commonly seen on restaurant seafood platters. However, researchers have taken playing with their food to a whole new level: investigating oysters’ natural properties in fighting infection and disease.
In research published in the leading scientific journal PLOS One, researchers Kate Summer and Kirsten Benkendorff explored the potential medical applications of oyster hemolymph – a biological equivalent of blood – and its potential uses in supporting existing antibiotic treatments in tackling infection.
The research is rather novel – using the natural properties of hemolymph to help antibiotic treatments break through biofilm – a layer of bacterial cells that form that help protect bacteria from the immune system. By leveraging the oyster hemolymph’s ability to break through biofilms, they can then allow antibiotics to focus on their best work – fighting infection rather than resistance.
While oyster hemolymph may not be able to support the treatment of infections by itself, its synergistic benefits with off-the-shelf antibiotics hold great promise for the future of antibiotic treatment. With conventional research taking many years to research and introduce new antibiotics to market, harnessing the natural properties of the ocean’s filter could transform how we treat infections – and may even save lives.
A Future Worth Fighting For
Antibiotic resistance threatens the ongoing ability of medical staff to treat infection. While the promise of penicillin in the 20th century proved a turning point in treating infection, the challenges of antibiotic-resistant infections show that medicine is often a tug-of-war between treatments and the nefarious ways that infections attempt to evolve to surpass them.
Summer and Benkendorff’s research highlights that the solution may not come from medication alone. While it may be years until the first solutions become commercially available, their research harnessing the properties of the humble oyster highlights the natural power of oceanic invertebrates – and the promise they hold for future innovation.Â
The world of antibiotic research has advanced far beyond what anyone thought possible when penicillin was first discovered, and it’s exciting to imagine what’s next.
Image by Elle Hughes from Pexels
The editorial staff of Medical News Bulletin had no role in the preparation of this post. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the advertiser and do not reflect those of Medical News Bulletin. Medical News Bulletin does not accept liability for any loss or damages caused by the use of any products or services, nor do we endorse any products, services, or links in our Sponsored Articles.
Bacteria, fungi, pathogens. Three types of infections that can have vastly varied impacts on the human body and present an ongoing challenge to doctors and medical staff worldwide. The twentieth century saw a rapid evolution in infection treatment options – with the discovery of penicillin proving a pivotal moment in the fight against bugs. In recent times, however, the bugs have started to fight back – with antibiotic-resistant superbugs such as MRSA becoming increasingly dangerous. For those completing online DNP programs, understanding the work being done to tackle the superbug crisis can provide a glimpse of how medical treatment may evolve in the future. Let’s explore the world of new medicine – and how researchers are turning to the ocean in the hopes of unlocking new cures against infections. Feeling unwell is never a pleasant experience – whether it’s the aches and pains, the gunk and the goo our body puts out to fight illness, or the broader lack of energy, being unwell is a feeling that most of us would prefer to forget. Being ill is a remarkably common thing, even in today’s modern world. In urbanized environments, something as little as a sneeze on a train can often lead to the widespread distribution of illnesses. Finding cures and remedies is often a part of the journey from being sick to feeling better, and for some people, fighting illness can be challenging. Although antibiotics are usually presented as effective cures for infections, they have unfortunately garnered a reputation for being perceived as a cure-all. Antibiotics are often misused in a futile effort to treat viral conditions such as the common cold. As a result of excessive use of antibiotics, the infections that were once susceptible to them are now becoming resistant to their treatment. Increasingly, infections are emerging that cannot be treated through antibiotics, such as MRSA – presenting a major challenge for healthcare professionals worldwide. Image by Alex P from Pexels The scale of antibiotic resistance cannot and should not be underestimated. Recent data from the World Health Organization highlighted just how substantial the emerging superbug challenge is. Estimates project that antimicrobial resistance (the pool of medications that includes antibiotics) will cost the global economy more than a trillion dollars a year over the next decade. Finding new ways to treat antibiotic-resistant superbugs is not simply wishful thinking. In fact, researchers around the world are exploring new potential treatments in the hopes of supporting or even replacing the limited treatment options that exist for superbugs. With deaths attributable to superbugs projected to kill nearly forty million people globally over the next quarter century, finding ways to treat antibiotic-resistant infections more effectively could potentially save millions of lives. So, where does one turn when looking for a cure? Antibiotic research can take many forms, with researchers and labs from around the world often collaborating to identify and discover potential cures. For a group of researchers in Australia, understanding how other species fight infections has become a key element of their research. These discoveries on how the animal kingdom manages to mitigate infection provide a glimpse into potential treatment options – and recently, their work into the humble oyster has yielded remarkable results. With more than two billion oysters eaten annually, oysters are commonly seen on restaurant seafood platters. However, researchers have taken playing with their food to a whole new level: investigating oysters’ natural properties in fighting infection and disease. In research published in the leading scientific journal PLOS One, researchers Kate Summer and Kirsten Benkendorff explored the potential medical applications of oyster hemolymph – a biological equivalent of blood – and its potential uses in supporting existing antibiotic treatments in tackling infection. The research is rather novel – using the natural properties of hemolymph to help antibiotic treatments break through biofilm – a layer of bacterial cells that form that help protect bacteria from the immune system. By leveraging the oyster hemolymph’s ability to break through biofilms, they can then allow antibiotics to focus on their best work – fighting infection rather than resistance. While oyster hemolymph may not be able to support the treatment of infections by itself, its synergistic benefits with off-the-shelf antibiotics hold great promise for the future of antibiotic treatment. With conventional research taking many years to research and introduce new antibiotics to market, harnessing the natural properties of the ocean’s filter could transform how we treat infections – and may even save lives. Antibiotic resistance threatens the ongoing ability of medical staff to treat infection. While the promise of penicillin in the 20th century proved a turning point in treating infection, the challenges of antibiotic-resistant infections show that medicine is often a tug-of-war between treatments and the nefarious ways that infections attempt to evolve to surpass them. Summer and Benkendorff’s research highlights that the solution may not come from medication alone. While it may be years until the first solutions become commercially available, their research harnessing the properties of the humble oyster highlights the natural power of oceanic invertebrates – and the promise they hold for future innovation. The world of antibiotic research has advanced far beyond what anyone thought possible when penicillin was first discovered, and it’s exciting to imagine what’s next. Image by Elle Hughes from Pexels The editorial staff of Medical News Bulletin had no role in the preparation of this post. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the advertiser and do not reflect those of Medical News Bulletin. Medical News Bulletin does not accept liability for any loss or damages caused by the use of any products or services, nor do we endorse any products, services, or links in our Sponsored Articles.
When Microbes Fight Back
The Superbug Crisis
Oyster Blood Shows Promise
A Future Worth Fighting For
