Search is Powered by Google
Cystic Fibrosis News

Key Found To Kill Cystic Fibrosis Superbug

Main Category: Cystic Fibrosis
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 26 Apr 2007 - 0:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article


Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:4 and a half stars

4.17 (6 votes)

Health Professional:4 stars

4 (2 votes)

Article Opinions: 1 posts

Researchers from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario , working with a group from Edinburgh, have discovered a way to kill the cystic fibrosis superbug, Burkholderia cenocepacia. These investigators, under the leadership of Dr. Miguel Valvano, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, have had their research published in the May issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, and highlighted in Nature Reviews/Microbiology.

B. cenocepacia is a multi-drug resistant microorganism that lives in damp or wet places and causes rot in plants such as onions. While it rarely causes infection in healthy people, it can be fatal for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited disease where the lungs become clogged with thick mucus, often leading to chronic respiratory infections.

The team of researchers has identified a weakness in the armour that protects the B. cenocepacia bacterium from the effects of antibiotics. They hypothesize that preventing the synthesis of a key sugar required for this armour, 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose (Ara4N), may lead to a susceptibility within the cell membrane to antibiotics.

"We are very excited with these findings, as they will let us come up with novel molecules to disrupt the making of Ara4N," says Valvano. "These molecules could then be tested as novel antibiotics." Valvano is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, a Canada Research Chair in Infectious Diseases and Microbial Pathogenesis, and leader of the Infectious Diseases Research Group at the Siebens-Drake Research Institute. He is available for interviews.

The research was funded through the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). "We're delighted by this news," says Cathleen Morrison, CEO of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "The possibility of a life-saving antibiotic to fight B. cenocepacia is tremendously encouraging to adults and children who have cystic fibrosis."

Dr. Bhagirath Singh, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity, says "This discovery provides new hope for the eradication of these bugs from cystic fibrosis patients and to improve their quality of life by developing new treatments."

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
160 Elgin St., 9th Fl.
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
Canada
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca




Customized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Home About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Links Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Contact Us
Psychiatry Urology
Bipolar Diabetes Schizophrenia

add medical news today to your facebook

medical news gadget

Add to Google


developers
website gadget code
website news code
medical news rss feed links


MedReader RSS Reader

customize your homepage


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
New Drug Delivery System Breaks The 'Mucus Barrier'
22 Aug 2008
Chemical engineers from Johns Hopkins University have broken the "mucus barrier," engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus - regarded by many as nearly impenetrable - and carrying...


Learning to Stretch the Right Way
Learning to Stretch the Right Way

Knowing the right way to stretch can prevent injury and help you make the most out of your workout.

more videos are available in our health videos section.