A "revolutionary" antibiotic has been developed in Russia. What is special about it?

Humanity invented antibiotics in the early XXcentury and since then the number of deaths from bacterial infections in the world has decreased significantly. Today most antibiotics can be bought even without a prescription and this is a big problem. The fact is that many people start drinking them even with minor illnesses, and this leads to the fact that dangerous bacteria develop resistance to them. And if a person suffers from a really serious illness in the future, antibiotics will not help him. It is impossible to stop the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, so scientists regularly develop new species to which they do not yet have immunity. Recently, Russian scientists have presented an antibiotic that deserves special attention. And all because it is versatile and effective against both bacterial and fungal infections.

Scientists call the new antibiotic "revolutionary"

How do antibiotics work?

Antibiotics help people heal quickly fromdiseases by destroying bacteria that provoked their development. These complex chemical compounds destroy the cell wall of pathogenic bacteria, and then destroy their nuclei and other components. When bacteria do not remain, the inflammations provoked by them disappear and the person recovers.

Humanity has created many antibiotics, but many of them are no longer effective

People taking antibiotics have a lot ofa responsibility. After you start taking them, it is very important to drink the entire course, even if the person feels healthy. The fact is that if you stop taking antibiotics halfway, pathogenic bacteria can remain in the body. A well-feeling person will remain a spread of the disease, and bacteria will gradually get used to the effects of the antibiotic and, over time, will no longer be afraid of it.

It is important to understandthat antibiotics don't work against viruses. And all because viruses do not have cells - there is only a chain of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat.

Today there are thousands of naturaland synthetic substances that are taken as antibiotics. But in medicine, only 5% of this total number of funds is now used. And all because for hundreds of years billions of people did not finish their course of antibiotics and bacteria acquired resistance to them. At the moment, most antibiotics are completely useless. But scientists are constantly developing new species.

Recently, a test has been created that suggests the appropriate antibiotic to treat the disease

New antibiotic from Russia

Recently, scientists from the Tyumen StateUniversity (Tyumen State University) announced the creation of a new natural antibiotic. According to them, it is versatile and capable of killing not only bacteria, but also fungi. This means that it can be used to treat a wide range of different infections. The antibiotic is new, which means that bacteria do not yet have immunity to it. It cannot yet be bought in pharmacies, but even after it goes on sale, it can be distributed by prescription. And all so that it retains its effectiveness as long as possible.

New antibiotic sourced from the fungus Emericellopsis alkalina

According to the scientific journal Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, the antibiotic is called emericillipsin A... It can be obtained from mushrooms of the speciesEmericellopsis alkalina. The active substance prevents the cells of bacteria and fungi from forming a protective biofilm. This almost completely deprives pathogens of protection and they quickly die. It can be used both in pure form and added to the composition of other medicines. It works best in the form of injections, but the substance is also suitable for "direct treatment of affected tissue." What scientists mean by this expression is not entirely clear. Most likely, we are talking about pills taken by mouth.

When the new antibiotic will appear in pharmacies is still unknown

Emericillipsin A antibiotics cango on sale only after successfully passing the tests. But there are no details about them yet. For it to remain effective, it is important that people start taking medication more responsibly. Incompetent doctors are also to blame for the fact that bacteria develop immunity to antibiotics. Sometimes they even prescribe them unnecessarily. In some countries, they are appointed only if a person's life is under severe threat.

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In addition to developing new antibiotics, scientistsare also actively looking for alternatives. In 2017, Hi-News.ru author Ilya Khel wrote about six ways to solve one of the most important problems of humanity.