Doug Gordon
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There is nothing to ruin a person’s week like a bout of food poisoning, especially after they’ve spent money to go on an exotic vacation. Although technology to prevent this kind of suffering seems to be lacking, relief may be on the way. Dr. David Bundle, from the University of Alberta, thinks he may have found a new treatment to prevent bacteria from seriously affecting your body. The drug uses cutting edge nano-technology to destroy the invading bacteria before it can cause serious harm. The drug is still in the early testing phase, but it is a very positive step in conquering E.Coli and other such poisonings.  This week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Bundle described special polymers that can remove toxins from the bloodstream. Doctors could inject the nano-medicine into gravely ill patients to protect them from damage caused by bacteria such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome.
Each of the stringy saviors, called PolyBAIT, is decorated with carbohydrates that act like barbs. Those little hooks can snag bacterial poisons and then stick them to an immune system protein.
The protein and PolyBAIT disarm each toxin molecule, and then drag them out of the bloodstream.
(blog.wired)References: pnas.org, blog.wired Filed In: |
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