Probiotic bacteria may find use in antibiotic-free acne treatment

While it’s a good idea to avoid the overuse of antibiotics whenever possible, little else works on severe cases of acne. There may be new hope, however, as recent research suggests that probiotic bacteria could provide an effective treatment.Continue R… Continue reading Probiotic bacteria may find use in antibiotic-free acne treatment

Stalled Alzheimer’s drug may find new purpose against superbugs

Researchers have repurposed an experimental Alzheimer's drug to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Our antibiotics are failing in large numbers, threatening a future “dark age of medicine” where once-simple infections become lethal again. A team of scientists has now found a way to restore common antibiotics to their former strength, by repurposing a molecule developed to treat Alzheimer’s.

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Dementia-preventing nasal spray moves to human trials

A novel nasal spray combines a common antibiotic with a well-known antioxidant and human trials are set to begin soon

Scientists from Osaka City University are reporting successful preclinical tests of a novel nasal spray designed to prevent the neurodegeneration associated with dementia. The spray combines two cheap, pre-existing drugs and was found to improve cognitive function in several different mouse models of dementia.

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Mimic molecule distracts superbugs to help old antibiotics work again

Modern medicine is locked in an arms race against antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” A new treatment may give us the upper hand again by knocking out enzymes that bacteria use to defend themselves against the drugs.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, Sci… Continue reading Mimic molecule distracts superbugs to help old antibiotics work again

Ultrashort laser pulses shred superbugs without harming human cells

Antibiotics were one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, but their effectiveness is plummeting as bacteria develop resistance to them. Now, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have shown that ultrashort pulses of laser l… Continue reading Ultrashort laser pulses shred superbugs without harming human cells

Synthetic molecule boosts bacteria-eating immune cells to treat pneumonia

Pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics, but unfortunately these drugs are becoming less useful as bacteria develop resistance to them. Now, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found a way to boost immune cells to eat the … Continue reading Synthetic molecule boosts bacteria-eating immune cells to treat pneumonia

Gold nanoclusters make old antibiotics effective against superbugs again

Drug resistance is an increasing problem in bacterial infections, but a new study may have uncovered a way to reinvigorate old antibiotics. Scientists have wrapped gold nanoparticles in molecules that seek out bacteria and disrupt their cell membranes,… Continue reading Gold nanoclusters make old antibiotics effective against superbugs again

Dozens of new natural antibiotics found in the human body

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are poised to become a major health threat in the coming decades, but now it turns out that new antibiotics might have been inside us all along. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used a “search” algorithm to fi… Continue reading Dozens of new natural antibiotics found in the human body

Virus/antibiotic combo recruited to kill resistant bacteria

Sometimes, viruses can help us. According to a new study, a combination of antibiotics and a bacteria-killing virus eradicates harmful bacteria better than either one is capable of doing on its own.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, ScienceTags: Univer… Continue reading Virus/antibiotic combo recruited to kill resistant bacteria

Microneedle patch penetrates biofilms to treat chronic wounds

Chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers can be very difficult to treat, partially because of antibiotic-resistant “biofilms” that form over the affected tissue. A new type of microneedle patch, however, has been shown to deliver medication through … Continue reading Microneedle patch penetrates biofilms to treat chronic wounds