login
Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
Superbug Complicates Treatment of Infections in Cystic Fibrosis
A recent treatment for CF, inhalation of a sugar called mannitol, works by attracting moisture into the lungs. This thins the mucus making it easier to disperse. However, recent research by Professor John Govan and colleagues at the University of Edinburgh, published in the journal Microbiology has shown that when Bcc bacteria are grown on mannitol they produce a sticky substance called exopolysaccharide (EPS) which could contribute to the very problem that the mannitol therapy was designed to solve.
Infections caused by slime-producing bacteria are particularly difficult to treat in CF patients. The bacterial slime combines with the debris of the body's own defence cells to form a biofilm which protects the bacteria against both natural defences and antibiotics. And Bcc is an especially virulent bug.
"Burkholderia make other superbugs look like wimps", said Professor Govan, "They not only have larger genomes (hence genetic potential) and are resistant to almost all antibiotics, they can even use antibiotics such as penicillin as a nutrient. One of the problems is that when they are grown under normal laboratory conditions they do not produce the exopolysaccharide slime so their potential for causing serious infection may have been underestimated. We grew them on onion tissue they were first identified in the 1950's as the cause of onion rot and found that then they produced copious amounts of slime. Onion tissue contains a lot of simple sugars, including mannitol".
|
|
|
More News on: Genetic Testing of Diseases, Flu, Cystic Fibrosis, MRSA - The Super Bug, Drug Resistance - Antibiotic Resistance
 Comment & Contribute
|
Medwonders Health Network
- Health News Index
- News Quick Links
 |
Cystic Fibrosis
Complete Medindia Resources
|
| News Categories: |
| » | Cardio-Pulmonary Function can be a Strong Indicator for Survival Chances of Breast Cancer Patients |
| » | Post Surgery Will the Tumour Return? New Breast Cancer Test to Predict Exactly |
| » | Scientists Develop Compound That Triggers Cancer Cell Death |
| » | Iraqi National Hopes to Find Affordable Treatment for His Cancer in India |
| » | New Technique can Help Doctors Detect Pancreatic Cancer |
| More Cancer News | |
|
