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Possible Alternative to Antibiotics

Discussion in 'Science & Technology' started by ckparrothead, Nov 4, 2014.

  1. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    http://phys.org/news/2014-11-alternative-antibiotics.html

    Scientists have been creating artificial nanoparticles made of lipids, called liposomes, and injecting them into infected hosts. The liposomes closely resemble the membrane of host cells and so they function as decoys to which bacterial toxins can attach. Without the bacterial toxins, the bacteria are rendered defenseless against the host immune system.

    Scientists infected mice with a lethal dose of septicemia and then gave them the liposomes. The mice survived without any additional antibiotics being administered.

    Liposomes are already used to deliver specific medications into the body of clinical patients. These scientists just believe they've created liposomes which are "irresistable bait" for the bacterial toxins.

    The reason we need to be searching for alternatives to antibiotics is because more and more antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains are popping up each year because of over-use of antibiotics. Since these liposomes do not directly attack or interact with bacteria, they do not promote the development of antibiotic resistance.

    Kind of cool.
     
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  2. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    Very, very cool. Many of what I see as the most exciting advances in medicine over the past couple of dozen years are things like this where we change the way we look at something. For example, cancer used to be something we solely tried to eradicate. Now there are a lot of folks who are on maintenance doses of medication and cancer is being treated, in them, as would diabetes or heart disease, that is as a condition you manage. Drugs that interfere with the chemical processes of cells instead of attacking them are another example. Cool stuff.

    CK, I know you on this and earlier sites because of our common love of football especially the Phins but I have no idea what you do "in the real world"? Being an astute reader, you are most assuredly aware I am a parish pastor. Your interest in science is intriguing to me. May I ask how you spend your days away from football?
     
  3. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I'm in equities research. I work on a 6-man asset management team that manages about $6 or $7 billion worth of assets in varying styles.
     
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  4. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I'd say I have a keener interest in energy related innovations as opposed to other technological innovations.

    A big part of that is probably my distaste for what I view to be energy politics, which controls a very large part of our overall political picture. Not to mention my not particularly being anxious to see seas swallowing a lot of our land mass.

    My gut feel is we're being inundated with more energy than we could ever know what to do with, if we could only harness it efficiently. And it's difficult to find any problem that doesn't boil down to energy and/or resource scarcity.
     
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  5. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    I think you are correct. Efficiency is the key
     

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