A Brief History of Antibiotics Discovery
The discovery of medication in the 20th century transformed medicine and saved millions of lives worldwide. However, after nearly 100 years of their widespread use, many medication are becoming less effective as bacteria evolve resistance. Let's take a look back at how medication were discovered and how their effectiveness is now declining.
Alexander Fleming's Accidental Discovery
In 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find that a mold had grown in one of his culture dishes and was releasing a substance that was killing the surrounding bacteria. This mold was penicillin, produced by the fungus Penicillium notatum. Fleming realized that he had discovered a substance with antibacterial properties and named it penicillin. However, further development of penicillin as an antibacterial drug would have to wait until after World War II.
Wartime Necessity Drives Development
During World War II, demand grew for an effective treatment for infected wounds suffered by soldiers. In 1941, Australian scientist Howard Florey and his research group at Oxford began investigating penicillin's potential. They worked to purify and concentrate penicillin to prove it could fight infections in animals as well as test tubes. In 1943, the first patient was successfully treated with penicillin for a systemic bacterial infection, marking a major medical breakthrough.
How Medication Work
Most medication work by interfering with bacterial cell wall synthesis, nucleic acid synthesis, or protein synthesis. For example, penicillin and related beta-lactam medication work by inhibiting the final cross-linking step in peptidoglycan synthesis of the bacterial cell wall. Without this rigid cell wall structure, the bacterial cell ruptures and dies. Other classes of medication like aminoglycosides inhibit protein synthesis by binding to the bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit. Understanding how different medication target essential bacterial processes helps explain their selective toxicity towards bacteria over human cells.
The Rise of Antibiotics Resistance
As medication became widely prescribed and used in livestock for disease prevention, bacteria have faced increased selective pressure to evolve resistance against these drugs. Overuse and misuse of medication has accelerated resistance development through several key mechanisms. Bacteria can acquire or mutate genes that modify Antibiotic targets, limit drug access into cells, or actively pump drugs out. They can also share resistance genes via horizontal gene transfer between different bacterial strains.
Now, superbugs have emerged that are resistant to multiple classes of medication, severely limiting treatment options for certain infections. Some examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to the CDC, at least 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, killing more than 35,000 people. With few new medication in development, the post-antibiotic era threatens modern medical advances.
Strategies for Preserving Antibiotic Effectiveness
To preserve the utility of existing medication, healthcare systems and drug developers have implemented strategies to promote appropriate antibiotic use and discovery of novel drugs. Prudent antibiotic stewardship programs aim to optimize treatment selection, dosing, and duration. This involves antibiotic restriction, antimicrobial cycling, and cultural shifts like "Test Don't Guess" or "Delayed Prescribing." New rapid diagnostics also help identify the specific pathogen and most suitable antibiotic faster. Regulators have granted qualified infectious disease products priority review and additional market protections. Meanwhile, researchers screen novel compounds and screen existing drugs for activity against emerging resistant strains. Though the challenges are great, a One Health approach involving humans, animals, and the environment offers hope that medication can sustain their life-saving power.
From Alexander Fleming's serendipitous discovery to their crucial applications in treating soldiers, medication have undoubtedly saved hundreds of millions of lives worldwide. However, as bacterial resistance increases due to overuse and misuse, many standard medication are losing effectiveness. Through a multifaceted strategy optimizing antibiotic use, regulations, and accelerating drug development, it may be possible to preserve existing therapies and extend the antibiotic era. Continued research and responsible antibiotic stewardship will be key to preventing a potential post-antibiotic future without effective treatments for common infections.
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Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemical and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc.
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