HOPEFULLY A NEW GENERATION OF ANTIBIOTICS

I am glad to see this development as there has been no significantly new antibiotics for sometime. Over prescribing of antibiotics is something that really annoys me, it's all too easy to blame doctors but its the public who are at fault and its the public who have created the super bugs such as MRSA, through their ignorance, though there's been plenty of attempts to educate them on the use of antibiotics. Many countries sell antibiotics over the counter without a doctors prescription, this is wrong as taking antibiotics for relatively minor conditions leads to the bacteria developing resistance to the antibiotic. If you are ill enough to feel you need antibiotic please see a doctor to get a proper diagnosis. Even ointments containing antibiotics, however how much are still antibiotics at the end of the day and the body does have the capacity to deal with minor infections, if the condition continues to worsen please see a doctor. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses or fungal conditions, so going to the doctor when you have a cold and asking for antibiotics is pointless. Doctors I have to say are now aware of this more. And one of the worse culprits for leading to resistance is failing to finish the course prescribed, this leads to the bacteria developing immunity to the antibiotic, so if you are prescribed an antibiotic finish the entire course even if you are feeling much better. When I was a young nurse I was trained to gown up i.e. to wear gloves, a mask and a protective gown when administering antibiotic injections, this was to prevent us becoming sensitive to the antibiotic, this no longer is the case, for the less we are exposed to antibiotics the less we are likely to develop allergies and for bacteria to become resistant. I hope in the future people will become aware to how valuable and wonderful antibiotics are and not take them for granted and listen to medical advice.

ARTICLE BELOW FROM THE DAILY MAIL

Could HORSE MANURE develop a new generation of antibiotics? Mushrooms on dung could be effective at killing bacteria

• Substance, known as copsin, can be found on the gray shag mushroom
• Scientists say that copsin has the same effect as traditional antibiotics
• It belongs to a different type of biochemical family because it is a protein
• As well as antibiotics, it may also be possible to use copsin in the food industry to tackle pathogens such as Listeria

Scientists claim the rise of untreatable bacteria is one of the biggest health threats facing the world.

To prevent minor infections killing people globally, researchers are in a race against time to develop new and better types of antibiotics.

Now scientists in Switzerland believe they have found one solution to the problem in an unlikely place: the gray shag mushroom that grows on horse dung.

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ARE WE FINALLY WINNING THE WAR AGAINST SUPERBUGS?

Scientists in Switzerland believe they have found a substance that can lead to a new type of antibiotic in an unlikely place: the gray shag mushroom (pictured) 

The substance, known as copsin, has the same effect as traditional antibiotics, but belongs to a different type of biochemical family because it is a protein.

The researchers led by Markus Aebi, a mycology professor at ETH Zurich, discovered the substance in the common inky cap mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea.

Copsin belongs to the group of defensins, a class of small proteins produced by many organisms to combat microorganisms that cause disease.

The human body also produces defensins to protect itself against infections. They have been found, for example, on the skin and in the mucous membranes.

The gray shag mushroom grows on horse manure. It contains a substance known as copsin, The three-dimensional structure studied by ETH researchers shows the compact form of copsin on the left

For Professor Aebi, the main focus of this research project was not primarily on applications for the new substance.

'Whether copsin will one day be used as an antibiotic in medicine remains to be seen. This is by no means certain, but it cannot be ruled out either,' he says.

The ETH professor is now looking at how fungi have used defensins and other naturally antibiotic substances for millions of years to protect themselves against bacteria - without becoming resistant. 

Scientists have created the first viable alternative to antibiotics, marking the next step in the fight against drug-resistant superbugs

Scientists have created the first viable alternative to antibiotics, marking the next step in the fight against drug-resistant superbugs.

A small test study has found the new drug is effective at targeting the bacteria that causes MRSA.

Researchers believe the likelihood of the bug developing a resistance to the new drug is 'very limited'.

A version of the drug is already used in specialist creams to treat conditions including acne, eczema, rosacea and skin irritations.

Dutch biotech firm Micreos claims Staphefekt is the first endolysin - a bacteria-killing enzyme - available for use on human skin.

While targeting MRSA and other strains of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, the drug's make up means it leaves 'good' bacteria unharmed - important in the case of long-term use.

The firm unveiled its discovery at the EuroSciCon meeting, Antibiotics Alternatives for the New Millenium, in London last week. 

'Fungi have internal instructions on how to use these substances without resulting in selection of resistant bacteria. How to decode these instructions is an intriguing problem for basic research,' explains Professor Aebi.

In addition to being used as an antibiotic in medicine, it may also be possible to use copsin in the food industry as well.

This is because copsin kills many pathogens including Listeria, a type of bacteria that can cause severe food poisoning and is therefore feared, especially in the production of non-heat treated foodstuffs such as raw milk cheeses and dried meats.

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