We're outnumbered by microbes
There is a real problem with antibiotic resistance these days.
As a society we seem to be using these drugs too often for conditions that will tend to settle on their own if they are just given time. We can only deal with this problem if we reduce our use, restricting them for the most serious of conditions.
One of the problems is that we do not have the facilities as yet to tailor drugs to individuals. Although we can test urine and get a culture done to see what microbe is causing an infection, the selection of an antibiotic is based on the way that antibiotic works on the culture in the laboratory. It does not necessarily predict how it will work when it is taken internally.
Microbes develop resistance to antibiotics because they are not the right drug at that moment – and because patients stop taking a prescribed course before they have fully done the job.
The mapping of the human genome has been one of the most incredible scientific advances of all time. In this sense all humans are 99.9 per cent identical as a species. It opens up incredible potential for future medicine, but it is still not going to give us the answer to our treatment of infections. To do this we need to embark upon an entirely different avenue of research.
The Human Microbiome Project may well be the direction that we need to
follow.
Essentially, a 'microbiome' is the term used to describe the totality of microbes, including their genetic structure, their environment and the way they react to their environment. If we can better understand this, then we may start to learn how to deal with the problems of infections, infection control and treatment.
This is so important because microbes outnumber human cells in your total body mass in a ratio of 10 to one. That means there are more microbial cells that make up your body, than there are your own human cells. That may sound incredible, but it is a fact. Recent research using gene-sequencing technology has shown that it is possible to pinpoint specific bacterial types and where they like to thrive on and within the body. It has also been found that bacterial colonies differ from person to person, with each individual carrying his or her own 'personalised' assortment of micro-organisms.
The bowel, palms of the hands, souls of the feet and the forearms are the areas with the most diversity. Amazingly, if you try to transplant bacteria from one area to another they don't thrive, except on these special 'popular' areas.
Researchers believe that once we develop a better understanding of the 'microbiome' then we will be able to devise strategies for personalised medicine. In terms of infections, this seems to be the future.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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