 |
|
Progress toward a new remedy for chronic urinary tract infections?
February 10, 2005Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) at the Free University of Brussels have recently published results that show promise in the quest for a new remedy for chronic urinary tract infections. The researchers have shown that administration of the sugar Heptyl-a-D-mannoside can prevent E. coli bacteria from binding to the wall of the urinary tract - which is the first step in the development of the infection.
A widespread problem
Urinary tract and bladder infections are among the most prevalent bacterial infections and can be quite painful. Fifty percent of all women are confronted by these unpleasant infections at some point in their lives. The disorder is an especially severe problem when it becomes chronic - whereby some patients experience symptoms almost continually. The Escherichia coli bacterium is responsible for 80% of these urinary tract infections. Treatment with antibiotics is possible but does not preclude a recurrence of the infection. In addition to this, more and more bacteria are becoming resistant to the antibiotics. For these reasons, scientists have been busy seeking another solution.
Prevention is better than cure
Julie Bouckaert and her co-researchers, under the direction of Henri De Greve, have discovered a way to prevent E. coli bacteria from adhering to the wall of the urinary tract, so that they can no longer cause infection. Because E. coli bacteria use very particular hair-like projections (called pili) to cling to tissues - the first stage of a potential inflammation - a drug that can prevent this attachment can also avert bladder and urinary tract inflammations.
Combating certain bonds
Bouckaert and De Greve have investigated the way in which the E. coli bacteria attach themselves. This attachment takes place by means of a reaction between the protein 'Adhesine FimH' on the tips of the pili and special receptors on the wall of the urinary tract. The researchers hypothesized that they could prevent this binding by administering a substance that would have a greater affinity with Adhesine FimH than with the receptors on the urinary tract. Then, the E. coli binding places would be so captivated by this particular substance that they would no longer be able to cling to the wall of the urinary tract.
Their search for such a substance proved fruitful. Via crystallography and affinity determinations, they demonstrated that the bacteria bind very strongly to the structure of the Heptyl-a-D-mannoside sugar. This binding is strong enough to prevent the bacteria from attaching themselves to the urinary tract wall. Therefore, administration of Heptyl-a-D-mannoside could prevent bladder infections. This finding opens possibilities for the development of a new medication for chronic urinary tract infections.
VIB - Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology
Julie Bouckaert and her co-researchers, under the direction of Henri De Greve, have discovered a way to prevent E. coli bacteria from adhering to the wall of the urinary tract, so that they can no longer cause infection. Because E. coli bacteria use very particular hair-like projections (called pili) to cling to tissues - the first stage of a potential inflammation - a drug that can prevent this attachment can also avert bladder and urinary tract inflammations.
Combating certain bonds
Bouckaert and De Greve have investigated the way in which the E. coli bacteria attach themselves. This attachment takes place by means of a reaction between the protein 'Adhesine FimH' on the tips of the pili and special receptors on the wall of the urinary tract. The researchers hypothesized that they could prevent this binding by administering a substance that would have a greater affinity with Adhesine FimH than with the receptors on the urinary tract. Then, the E. coli binding places would be so captivated by this particular substance that they would no longer be able to cling to the wall of the urinary tract.
Their search for such a substance proved fruitful. Via crystallography and affinity determinations, they demonstrated that the bacteria bind very strongly to the structure of the Heptyl-a-D-mannoside sugar. This binding is strong enough to prevent the bacteria from attaching themselves to the urinary tract wall. Therefore, administration of Heptyl-a-D-mannoside could prevent bladder infections. This finding opens possibilities for the development of a new medication for chronic urinary tract infections.
VIB - Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology
Bacteria Current Events and Bacteria News RSSOn the Trail of a Vaccine for Lyme Disease: Yale Researchers Target Tick Saliva
A protein found in the saliva of ticks helps protect mice from developing Lyme disease, Yale researchers have discovered. The findings, published in the November 19 issue of Cell Host & Microbe, may spur development of a new vaccine against infection from Lyme disease, which is spread through tick bites.
Cigarettes Harbor Many Bacteria Harmful to Human Health
Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher and microbial ecologists at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France.
ORNL, Los Alamos pioneer new approach to assist scientists, farmers
Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Los Alamos national laboratories.
UAB Researchers Discover Antibody Receptor Identity, Propose Renaming Immune-System Gene
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders.
Scientists find molecular trigger that helps prevent aging and disease
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to address a question that has been challenging scientists for years: How do dietary restriction-and the reverse, overconsumption-produce protective effects against aging and disease?
Texas A&M Researchers Examine How Viruses Destroy Bacteria
Viruses are well known for attacking humans and animals, but some viruses instead attack bacteria. Texas A&M University researchers are exploring how hungry viruses, armed with transformer-like weapons, attack bacteria, which may aid in the treatment of bacterial infections.
A Second Skin
Despite advances in treatment regimens and the best efforts of nurses and doctors, about 70% of all people with severe burns die from related infections.
Study reveals why certain drug combinations backfire
Combination drug therapy has become a staple for treating many infections. For instance, doctors treat extensively drug resistant forms of tuberculosis with one drug that breaks down the pathogen's protective barriers and opens the door for another to deliver the deathblow.
Simple test could offer cheap solution to detecting landmines
Scientists have developed a simple, cheap, accurate test to find undetected landmines.
New explanation for nature's hardiest life form
Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists.
More Bacteria Current Events and Bacteria News Articles
 |
A Field Guide to Bacteria (Comstock Book) by Betsey Dexter Dyer (Author) Pocket-guide to observing bacteria without a laboratory or fancy equipment. Presents all the major taxonomic groups of bacteria in a useable, accessible format for amateur naturalists who may or may not have access to a microscope. Includes ideas for planning field trips to explore bacteria in their natural environments. Illustrated, some color. Softcover, hardcover available. |
 |
Ein-O Science BioSigns Bacteria by Tedco The hands on cell and microbiology models provide magnified and cross section details. The set includes Virus, Bacteria, Plant Cell, White Blood Cell, Red Blood Cell and Animal Cell. Ein-O's I Know Guides and storage box are included. Consider using these models with a display of your own making - featuring the intricacies of cell structure, comparing and contrasting differences, investigating functions & interactions, or describing the efforts of modern medicine... a neat Science Fair Project. Virus - This hands-on interactive model provides magnified and cross-sectioned detailing of a Virus. Animal Cell - This hands-on interactive model provides magnified and cross-sectioned detailing of an Animal Cell. White Blood Cell - This hands-on interactive model provides... |
 |
Bacteria (Discovery Channel School Science) by Lynn Brunelle (Author), Barbara Ravage (Author), Lynn Brunelle (Editor), Barbara Ravage (Editor), Gareth Stevens Publishing (Editor) |
 |
60 Minutes - Superbug (November 11, 2007) Airdate 11/11/07 MRSA is a superbug, a staff infection that has moved out of hospitals and nursing homes and is now infecting healthy people, sometimes killing them. That's because once the MRSA infection gets into the blood stream, it is largely resistant to antibiotics. For now, the best medicine is prevention. What does this mean? Scrubbing down school desks? Hosing down team locker rooms? Sending infected kids home? Lesley Stahl reports. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
 |
Disposable EARLOOP Face MASK, Filters Bacteria 3 Ply - (Box of 50) by EVERREADY FIRST AID Tie-on surgical face mask with high bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), low breathing resistance, soft, odorless, non-irritating, comfortable superior fit, fiberglass free. |
 |
Essick Air #1970 Quart Bacteria Treatment by ESSICK AIR PRODUCTS QT, Humidifier Bacteria Treatment, Helps Fight Bacteria & Algae Build Up, Keeps Water Smelling Clean, EPA Registered, For Use In All Evaporative Console & Room Size Humidifiers. |
 |
Watersafe WS-359RC Pool & Spa Bacteria Water Test 10-pack by Watersafe A do-it-yourself Pool and Spa bacteria test strips. Revolutionary way to test your pool and spa for harmful bacteria in just 20 minutes. Contains 10 tests. Now there is a simple test that detects bacteria in swimming pools and spas in less than 20 minutes, with a simple procedure that requires no instrumentation or user training. This Bacteria Test has all the accuracy and reliability of a lab test, but in a disposable test strip. How to use Pool and Spa Bacteria Test: * Open box * Sample water * Read results - immediate visual readout, no instruments required Detection Range: * Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, E.coli, species of Salmonella, Shigella, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and many other Coliform and non-Coliform bacteria. * 10^3 cfu/ml |
 |
Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World by Jessica Snyder Sachs (Author) Making Peace with Microbes Public sanitation and antibiotic drugs have brought about historic increases in the human life span; they have also unintentionally produced new health crises by disrupting the intimate, age-old balance between humans and the microorganisms that inhabit our bodies and our environment. As a result, antibiotic resistance now ranks among the gravest medical problems of modern times. Good Germs, Bad Germs addresses not only this issue but also what has become known as the “hygiene hypothesis”— an argument that links the over-sanitation of modern life to now-epidemic increases in immune and other disorders. In telling the story of what went terribly wrong in our war on germs, Jessica Snyder Sachs explores our emerging understanding of the symbiotic... |
 |
Professioal Lab #BA110 Pro Bacteria/WTR Kit by PROFESSIONAL LAB INC Professional Bacteria & Water Test Kit, Easy To Use, Do It Yourself Test Identifies Dangerous Bacteria In 48 Hours, Offers 2 Types Of Analytical Methods, The First Method Simply Involves Counting The Number Of Colonies That Are Growing On The Petri Dish, The Second Method Optional Requires Sending The Petri Dish To Pro-Lab For A More Detailed Analysis Which Will Identify The Bacteria Present In Your Water, EPA Approved Lab Methods, Contains Petri Dish, Bacteria Medium, Calibrated Pipette/Dropper, Information Form. |
 |
Prepared Microscope Slides - Bacteria Set of 12 bacteria prepared microscope slides includes Streptococcus Pyogenes and more. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |