A Misunderstood Threat To All Of Humanity

Is there anything more terrible in the world than wars, natural disasters, and pandemics? It turns out that there is. And this invisible danger lies in wait for each of us. We're talking about superbugs, microbes against which all modern medicines are ineffective. Doctors have sounded the alarm. Every year the effectiveness of antibiotics decreases.

Clever new bacteria develop resistance to existing drugs. Are we on the verge of a bacterial apocalypse? What bacteria are these that threatens to plunge all of humanity into medieval darkness? And is there any way to avoid this danger? Get ready to meet them, because here they are, the most dangerous bacteria in the world.

Acinetobacter Baumann, Pseudomonas origins, and Pterobacter arise, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Serratia, and Proteus. Scientists have this group of enemies at the very top of their radar, although the list of super-bacteria is, of course, much longer. An encounter with these microorganisms can lead to serious illness.

and even death. And if a person continues to overuse antibiotics and take them at the slightest sneeze, then the world will inevitably be doomed to the post-antibiotic era, when the medicines are left to face off with infections without any chance of victory. Each year, around 700,000 people die in the world as a result of infection with drug-resistant bacteria.

If the situation doesn't change, then by 2030, 100 million people will die an early death. And in 35 years, this figure will reach 300 million. But humanity can still be saved. Scientists have high hopes for a new antibiotic, aerobactin, and you won't believe where it was discovered... in roundworms. Yes, you heard right.

A group of scientists from Northeastern University studied the intestinal contents of parasitic nematodes and discovered a bacterial strain. Photo-rub this. These worms infect insects, releasing bacteria that must then fight off pathogens, similar to those that live inside the human intestines. The secret weapon that helps the worms quickly dispense with their victims

turned out to be an antibiotic called Darobactin. Biologists have found that Darobactin can actively fight Gram-negative bacteria, the cell wall of which is further protected by the outer membrane. The last drug of this type was discovered over 60 years ago. In bacteria, a mutation in the BAM-A protein gene is responsible for the formation of the outer membrane, in addition to regulating the formation.

of the outer membrane, it ensures the proper incorporation of various proteins into it. Darobactin attacks the protein from the outside, tightly binding to it and then disabling it. The unique antibiotic leaves the pathogenic bacteria no chance to renew the outer membrane, and it dies.

In laboratory tests, the new antibiotic has already proven effective and cured mice of dangerous infections of Ascorica coli and Klebsiella pneumonia, without toxic side effects. Of course, further research and testing are needed to create a medicine suitable for human use, but the data already obtained suggests that super bacteria have a serious enemy.

Is there an alternative to the antibiotic found in worms? In 2017, scientists found something in the blood of Komodo dragons that can heal infected wounds. Scientists from George Mason University in the United States have created a synthetic substance with antimicrobial properties based on a blood molecule found in the Komodo dragon.

is called DRGN1. It's already been tested on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as Staphylococcus aureus. These two superbugs are especially difficult to fight. They form colonies, or biofilms, which are much more difficult to cope with than with a single microorganism. The results shocked scientists. Of the eight peptides obtained by scientists,

Seven were able to destroy the bacterial colonies. Therefore, the new substance has a very good chance of becoming an antibacterial drug in the future. Although, if we need the fresh blood of lizards for further examination, then we need to hurry. There are less than 3,000 monitor lizards left on Earth who are ready to participate in such an experiment in the name of a good cause. If it doesn't work out with the Komodo Dragon...

Then scientists have another option, the American alligator. And there's something special about the blood also flowing through its body. In the early 21st century, chemists from Louisiana surprised the international scientific community by stating that blood serum from the American alligator can successfully kill 23 bacteria strains, including strains resistant to antibiotics.

The research team found that the antimicrobial molecules in the blood serum of alligators are specific peptides, which scientists called allegation. Surprisingly, a 5% serum solution was able to cope even with HIV. But you can't inject these substances directly into human blood. You need to carefully study its molecular structure.

and remove the part of the molecule that is dangerous to humans. This can take years of work. And only then might drugs similar to Alligacin appear in pharmacies, scientists say. It's hard to believe, but even the skin of frogs can produce antibiotics. So far, it's been possible to determine the structure of 200 antimicrobial peptides that may be effective in combating superbugs.

In 2010, John Michael Conlin of United Arab Emirates University and his colleagues devised a way to modify these molecules, since they are not toxic to humans, but to talk about the creation of a new drug against dangerous pathogens is a bit too early. But why look for antibiotics among the fauna if they can be found right under your nose?

isolated a new broad-spectrum antibiotic named Lugdunin from bacteria living in the human nose. It turned out that one of the strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus lugdunensis, under certain conditions, effectively inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Further experiments showed that Lugdunin acts on many super-bacteria.

including E. coli, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and others.

Scientists intend to continue to study the human body in the search for new types of antibiotics. After the discovery of Lugdunin, they believe that our body is an inexhaustible source of potential new drugs. But even if none of the new antibiotics shows good results in the following tests, and super bacteria develop resistance to all known antibiotics, scientists have a backup option ready.

This bacteria, Predators Bidello vibrio, moves at a record speed of up to 160 micrometers per second, they attack other, larger gram-negative bacteria. These predators penetrate the other bacteria, multiply, and then destroy the host cell within 3 to 4 hours.

A team of scientists from Imperial College London and the University of Nottingham tried to use Bdellovibrio against the bacteria Shigella, the culprit of food poisoning. Laboratory studies have shown that predator bacteria can reduce the population of pathogenic Shigella by 4,000 times. The experiments were carried out on the fry of freshwater zebrafish.

Some individuals were infected with the shigella strain, and only 25% of them survived three days after infection. Along with shigella, the predator strain was also introduced to another, and the survival rate, in this case, was 60%. For humans, this predator bacteria is probably not dangerous. Scientists believe that this discovery is an important step.

in developing methods for the use of live antibiotics in both animals and humans. Perhaps mankind will still be able to avoid the bacterial apocalypse and soon invent a super-antibiotic to defeat super-bacteria, but each of us can now contribute to the fight against pathogenic microbes. Don't rush to look for an antibiotic in your nose. The key lies in our attitudes to our health.

A strong organism leading a healthy lifestyle will not be at risk from gram-negative bacteria. If You like my story it will raise immunity about as good as freshly squeezed carrot juice. Should we try it and see? Until next time! See you next time!