Antibiotics from cobwebs are a new word in medicine
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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In recent years, bacteria have developed resistance to virtually all drugs. Antibacterial resistance and ways to combat it are of increasing concern to scientists from all over the world, since if in the near future they do not learn how to combat the ability of bacteria to resist drugs, people will be defenseless before infections.
In the UK, a team of scientists conducted an interesting experiment, during which she found out that the basis for creating a new effective antibiotic could be a web. To study the properties of the cobwebs of scientists, ancient methods were used, in which spiders and the secret of their glands were used. The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Nottingham, located in the UK, it took about 5 years to complete the survey. Studying the properties of the spider webs, experts found that the protein in it contains powerful antiseptic properties, as a result, it was decided to use it as the basis for a new antibacterial drug, in addition to protein experts added to the antibiotic unique enzymes.
According to lead researcher John Hiddleston, the complex composition of the biological material created by his scientific group has unique properties and maximum practicality. At this stage, the invention of British specialists is undergoing additional clinical trials in which scientists determine the possible side effects of the drug.
The researchers themselves are sure that their development will have great potential and will help the further development of medicine. As mentioned at the beginning, antibiotics are rapidly losing their ability to kill disease-causing bacteria that have learned to resist their action. Under the current conditions, scientists are required to create more and more new drugs that cope with infections better than old ones. Unfortunately, the development of new drugs takes quite a long time, whereas bacteria have learned to develop resistance to new drugs faster, so scientists are not worried about the situation.
The world's first antibacterial drug was created on the basis of mold, and scientists do not doubt that a new stage in medicine will be the creation of antibiotics based on the secretion of spider webs.
In earlier studies, British experts said that a powerful antibiotic can be created from breast milk and the new drug is able to effectively resist viruses and bacteria.
Women's breast milk for a child is not only food, but also a strong protection against diseases in the first months of life. It is these facts that prompted scientists to study breast milk in detail and to identify which substances help the newborn's body to resist viruses and bacteria.
During laboratory work, the scientists found that the breast milk contains a protein called lactoferrin, which contains compounds that help immunity to resist viruses. Specialists decided to create an antibiotic based on lactoferrin, which, according to them, has a powerful ability to kill bacteria, fungi, viruses. The peculiarity of the new drug is that it does not affect the healthy cells of the body. Also, experts noted that the new drug can be taken with other medicines, this will not change the force of its action.
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