U.S President's higher budget allocation for antibiotic resistance

Contributed by: Dr. Akilesh Ramasamy & Dr. Tamhankar

FACT SHEET: President’s 2016 Budget Proposes Historic Investment to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria to Protect Public Health

Nearly double the amount of Federal Funding for fighting antibiotic resistance and preventing has been allocated by U.S President in 2016 budget.

Antibiotics may impair effectiveness of Flu vaccines - A study in ice revels.

Contributed by: Dr. Akilesh R & Dr. Tamhankar

A new study suggests antibiotics may hinder the effectiveness of flu vaccines!

Via Creative Common

“Our results suggest that the gut microbiome may be exerting a powerful effect on immunity to vaccination in humans, even immunity induced by a vaccine that is given at a distant site,” says Pulendran, Charles Howard Candler professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and Yerkes National Primate Research Center.

In an earlier study involving humans, it was found that expression of the gene encoding TLR5 was correlated to increased antibody response weeks later. TLR5 encodes a protein that enables immune cells to sense flagellin, the main structural protein for the whips (flagella) many bacteria use to propel themselves.

Antibiotics may remove most of the gut bacteria which in turn may affect expression of genes encoding TLR5. In the current study on mice, they found that mice lacking TLR5 had diminished response to flu vaccine.

Teixobactin - A new 'anti-resistance' antibiotic which is a breakthrough in decades discovered.

Contributed by: Dr. Akilesh Ramasamy & Dr. Tamhankar

For decades there has been a stagnation in the antibiotic discovery. As said earlier in our blog, scientists started looking into the depths of the ocean, and in the soil for newer antibiotics. A major hurdle in the development of antibiotics is the source. Most antibiotics are developed from culturable microbes. Interestingly, about 99% of the environmental bacteria are not culturable. The discoveres of the new antibiotic say that they developed several methods to grow these uncultured organisms bu cultivation in situ or by using specific growth factors. In the process, they discovered a new antibiotic that they named teixobactin.

The mechanism of action of the antibiotic makes it unique and resistant to development of resistance.

The general public's knowledge and understanding of risks of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance is low!

Contributed by Dr. Akilesh Ramasamy & Dr. Tamhankar

CDC Year in Review: “Mission: Critical” (1)
CDC lists antibiotic resistance as 2nd in its list "Mission:critical" published on December 15, 2014. The first concern listed is Ebola. WHO has since many years listed antibiotic resistance as a global concern.

Does the attitude of people have a role in this spread of antibiotic resistance and irrational use of antibiotics ? Do the general public have adequate knowledge and understanding of risks of antibiotic resistance ?

To find an answer to this question, researchers from George Washington, Cornell and Johns Hopkins universities conducted a small study in which they surveyed 113 patients in an urban hospital to test their understanding of antibiotics.(2)

The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance publishes its first paper on December 11, 2014

Contributed by: Dr. Akilesh Ramasamy & Dr. Tamhankar
Jim O’Neill was commissioned by The UK Prime Minister, The Rt Hon David Cameron MP, in July 2014 to chair this review on antimicrobial resistance. Jim O'Neill's task is to create a global consensus on antibiotics by 2016. (Read interview)

The first white paper on this attempt has been published on December 11, 2014.

"Drug-resistant infections already kill hundreds of thousands a year globally, and by 2050 that figure could be more than 10 million. The economic cost will also be significant, with the world economy being hit by up to $100 trillion by 2050 if we do not take action.” - Jim O’Neill, Chairman of the Review on AMR.