News tagged with antimicrobials
Cockroach brains could be rich stores of new antibiotics
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cockroaches could be more of a health benefit than a health hazard according to scientists from The University of Nottingham.
Sep 06, 2010 |
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Myth of a germ-free world: A closer look at antimicrobial products
Killing microorganisms has become a national obsession. A pair of antimicrobial compounds known as triclosan and triclocarban are lately the weapons of choice in our war of attrition against the microbial ...
Nov 09, 2010 |
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New technology makes textiles permanently germ-free; targets health care-associated infections
A University of Georgia researcher has invented a new technology that can inexpensively render medical linens and clothing, face masks, paper towels -- and yes, even diapers, intimate apparel and athletic wear, including ...
Jul 05, 2011 |
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Australian mammals take on antibiotic-resistant bugs
The Australian wallaby and platypus could turn out to be key weapons in fighting the growing health threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria, a team involving University of Sydney researchers has discovered.
Sep 02, 2011 |
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New silver nanoparticle skin gel for healing burns
Scientists in India are reporting successful laboratory tests of a new and potentially safer alternative to silver-based gels applied to the skin of burn patients to treat infections. With names like silver ...
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Jul 22, 2009 |
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Disinfectants may promote growth of superbugs
Using disinfectants could cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics as well as the disinfectant itself, according to research published in the January issue of Microbiology. The findings could have important implic ...
Medicine & Health / Medical research
Dec 27, 2009 |
5 / 5 (7) |
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Multiple health concerns surface as winter, vitamin D deficiences arrive
A string of recent discoveries about the multiple health benefits of vitamin D has renewed interest in this multi-purpose nutrient, increased awareness of the huge numbers of people who are deficient in it, spurred research ...
Nov 23, 2009 |
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Antibiotic resistant bacteria proliferate in agricultural soils
Infectious diseases kill roughly 13 million people worldwide, annually, a toll that continues to rise, aided and abetted by resistance genes. Now a study, published in the March Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy finds ...
Mar 20, 2012 |
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Don't underestimate the power of herbal teas
Those who enjoy the caffeinated lift that comes from drinking traditional coffees and teas may tend to overlook the benefits of drinking herbal infusions. Now, as explained in this month's issue of Agricultural Research magazi ...
Mar 01, 2011 |
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Key feature of immune system survived in humans, other primates for 60 million years
A new study has concluded that one key part of the immune system, the ability of vitamin D to regulate anti-bactericidal proteins, is so important that is has been conserved through almost 60 million years of evolution and ...
Aug 18, 2009 |
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Vitamin D: Not just for bones, says San Francisco VA physician
It is well-known that vitamin D is essential for strong and healthy bones. However, in an article in the online "In Press" section of "Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism," a San Francisco VA Medical Center physician reviews ...
Jun 15, 2010 |
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New family of antibacterial agents uncovered
As bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics continue to increase in number, scientists keep searching for new sources of drugs. In this week's JBC, one potential new bactericide has been found in the tiny freshwater animal ...
Biology /
Jan 15, 2009 |
5 / 5 (4) |
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Garlic doesn’t just repel vampires
The folk wisdom that eating garlic fights illness is ancient. In these more modern times, fruit and vegetable extracts that can inhibit the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms are actually being evaluated as ...
Aug 16, 2011 |
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Garlic constituent blocks biofilm formation, could benefit CF patients and others
E Pluribus Unum, the motto of the United States, could just as well apply to biofilm-forming bacteria. Bacterial biofilms are far more resistant than individual bacteria to the armories of antibiotics we have devised to combat ...
May 22, 2012 |
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Antimicrobials: Silver (and copper) bullets to kill bacteria
Dana Filoti of the University of New Hampshire will present thin films of silver and copper she has developed that can kill bacteria and may one day help to cut down on hospital infections. The antimicrobial properties of ...
Nov 09, 2009 |
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Antimicrobial
An antimicrobial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans, as well as destroying viruses. Antimicrobial drugs either kill microbes (microbicidal) or prevent the growth of microbes (microbistatic). Disinfectants are antimicrobial substances used on non-living objects.
The history of antimicrobials begins with the observations of Pasteur and Joubert, who discovered that one type of bacteria could prevent the growth of another. They did not know at that time that the reason one bacterium failed to grow was that the other bacterium was producing an antibiotic. Technically, antibiotics are only those substances that are produced by one microorganism that kill, or prevent the growth, of another microorganism. Of course, in today's common usage, the term antibiotic is used to refer to almost any drug that cures a bacterial infection. Antimicrobials include not just antibiotics, but synthetically formed compounds as well.
The discovery of antimicrobials like penicillin and tetracycline paved the way for better health for millions around the world. Before 1941, the year penicillin was discovered, no true cure for gonorrhea, strep throat, or pneumonia existed. Patients with infected wounds often had to have a wounded limb removed, or face death from infection. Now, most of these infections can be cured easily with a short course of antimicrobials.
However, the future effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy is somewhat in doubt. Microorganisms, especially bacteria, are becoming resistant to more and more antimicrobial agents. Bacteria found in hospitals appear to be especially resilient, and are causing increasing difficulty for the sickest patients–those in the hospital. Currently, bacterial resistance is combated by the discovery of new drugs. However, microorganisms are becoming resistant more quickly than new drugs are being made available; thus, future research in antimicrobial therapy may focus on finding how to overcome resistance to antimicrobials, or how to treat infections with alternative means, such as species-specific phages.
For more information about Antimicrobial, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
