In a recent research with 6,000 species of frog, more than 100 potential bacteria-killing substances have been found. However, the substances are too toxic for human medicines, and a team from United Arab Emirates University are working on that. There has been a drug resistan bacteria, like MRSA, and it is becoming an increasing problem worldwide, and there are lack of treatments. A substance found in frogskin have been found to show potential to kill MRSA. This process to use chemicals is not straightforward and easy because they either become destroyed in the bloodstream or is too toxic to human cells. Right now, researhers are investigating on how to help the chemicals resists breakdown from the body before the body has the chance to act.
This relates to science and biology concepts because with bacteria and diseases and infections out there that seems to not have a treatment, a natural resource from frogskin contain substances that might kill the bacteria. This also includes the life study of frogs and how their skin help protect the frog itself. With this study, this can lead to other studies of other animals that might show substances within them that may be helpful to us and other bacteria.
We care about this topic because we do not want our soldiers from Iraq to die from a drug-resistant infection while returning to America and to his/her family, do we? If a bacteria is gone untreated, we know that it will continue to pass on throughout the animals and humans and organisms, possibly causing another plague, with still little or no treatment. With frogskin, which is abundant and not hard to find, using the substances from its skin may kill the bacteria, and will be very useful in our medicines.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11101278
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.