Desu Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 What do you guys think about the future of antibiotics? Physicians prescribe antibiotics for many illnesses such as malaise, cold, and others that are not bacterial infections, hence giving the bacteria inside your system more immunity to the antibiotic used. For example, VRE (Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus), caused havok recently. Enterococcus, a bacteria living in your intestines without any harm, was giving immunity and caused havok with its new weapons such as hemolysins, which causes red blood cells to lyse, or literally explode. We are clearly running out of choices here, with so much people dying from bacteria that were easily treated with penicillin. Staphylococcus killing so many with its multiple resistance by causing Septic shocks, lethal skin infections (SSSS, or Staphylococcus Skin Skalding Syndrome, Flesh Eating Disease, Etc) So what do you think we must do? There is clearly a limit to chemically altering penicillin and other original antibiotics to make different ones. Do you think we should stick with antibiotics, or go with other choices such as Antimicrobial Peptides? Quote
PHANTASM Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 I had the misfortune of working on batch records at an animal antibiotic factory for about six months. They were constantly having product safety issues, customer complaints, and intense cost pressure from overseas manufacturers. The problem is that big pharma has abandoned the market, leaving it to the generic manufacturers, and they do not conduct research. We could discover new antibiotics if we wanted to. Merck did this for decades, creating new products as resistance developed to old ones, and actually recirculating some of the older ones after a few years of being left fallow so that the microbes could not become completely immune. It is important to rotate products before total immunity develops. There are complicated procedures in place to delay the onset of resistance. When things get really, really bad (disease outbreak on a massive scale in US ag industry), you will see the demand for new antibiotics return, and this will entice research funding to reappear. Quote
Desu Posted February 14, 2011 Author Posted February 14, 2011 I had the misfortune of working on batch records at an animal antibiotic factory for about six months. They were constantly having product safety issues, customer complaints, and intense cost pressure from overseas manufacturers. The problem is that big pharma has abandoned the market, leaving it to the generic manufacturers, and they do not conduct research. We could discover new antibiotics if we wanted to. Merck did this for decades, creating new products as resistance developed to old ones, and actually recirculating some of the older ones after a few years of being left fallow so that the microbes could not become completely immune. It is important to rotate products before total immunity develops. There are complicated procedures in place to delay the onset of resistance. When things get really, really bad (disease outbreak on a massive scale in US ag industry), you will see the demand for new antibiotics return, and this will entice research funding to reappear. yes from the tests conducted, somehow VRSA was vulnerable to old Sulfa Drugs Pharmaceutical companies have abandoned the market because of ***** like Desiree Jennings (sued Pharma since a flu vaccine made her *unable to speak or walk*) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U4qFO74v_o she develops a australian accent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4MIm1mB7GM not here. People take advantage of the fact that Pharmas always lose lawsuits its like people suing mcdonald because they always win. Quote
Chuckun Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 ,abuse of antibiotics went too far. Herbal remedies are proving effective against many things previously treated with antibiotics,, Quote
Desu Posted February 14, 2011 Author Posted February 14, 2011 ,abuse of antibiotics went too far. Herbal remedies are proving effective against many things previously treated with antibiotics,, honestly i dont see how herbal remedies can cure the big diseases, it might be good curing common illnesses i dont know how it can cure diseases such as flesh eating diseases, septic shocks.... Only way i can see herbal remedies of help, is to boost person's immunity therefore preventing the disease itself Quote
Chuckun Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Well like i said they're good for some things Antibiotics should only be used for severe cases like you mention Quote
Vanaraud Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Well like i said they're good for some things Antibiotics should only be used for severe cases like you mention True. You don´t have to eat box of antibiotics for running nose. Some hot tea and couple of days rest will do it. But doctors are too lazy chaseing the money and discribing tablets on every illness they encounter without makeing thorough tests\surveis. Im totally for it to describe antibiotics only for death near situations, not for common illnesses. Quote
Butterz Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Just putting it out there, I didnt find her accent Australian Quote
NoGooD Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 @Desu: Just curious what sparked this conversation. Are you taking a micro class or A&P? @Phan: You didn't mention the fact it takes most pharm. manufacturers around a billion dollars to bring a new drug to market. Much of that is due to dealing with legal hoops, lawyers, FDA etc. Also I've seen noone mention the fact that there is a small chance of a healthy individual developing Gullian-Barre syndrome from the flu shot. It was documented with a batch of swine flu vaccines in 76' and from my understanding there have been a few cases reported since 2000. Very small chance, but I figure if I'm still relatively young and healthy then I'll let my immune system deal with the flu. As for young children/elderly I have no problems with them getting a flu shot since there is a higher chance of them developing a secondary infection. True. You don´t have to eat box of antibiotics for running nose. Some hot tea and couple of days rest will do it. But doctors are too lazy chaseing the money and discribing tablets on every illness they encounter without makeing thorough tests\surveis. Im totally for it to describe antibiotics only for death near situations, not for common illnesses. To an extent, I agree. Taking a/b's for a cold is pointless as you pointed out. However occasionally if a virus infection becomes severe enough, you can go septic or develop pneumonia. Doc's today prescribe a/b's often times as a prophylactic rather than a cure. They often prescribe them to cover their ass in case their diagnosis was wrong. It's nearly impossible to be 100% certain just from a physical exam if someone has a bacterial or viral infection they decide to error on the side of least likely to be sued. Quote
Crasher Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 Too much use of antibiotics caused most bacteria to grow immune to it (basic biology study) and now that there aren't any more reliable things it has caught up to biologists and pharmacists. Someday though there will be a cure for everything with one pill. Quote
NoGooD Posted February 14, 2011 Posted February 14, 2011 There already is...it's called a cyanide pill. Quote
Desu Posted February 14, 2011 Author Posted February 14, 2011 NoGood-Im going for microbio major, prob whenever i feel like going to college I honestly dont see future in antibiotics, boosting your own immune system through the production of AMP is my solution some food actually increase the rate of AMP production more immunity=win there is a limit to how much we can chemically modify antibiotics...and we are finding resistance even in bacterias found in ocean, soil...etc Quote
KevinBacon Posted February 15, 2011 Posted February 15, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lLqqR2pcws Quote
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