Synercid, which was developed by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, is a new antibiotic that can help with bacteria that are resistant to Vancomycin and other antibiotics. It is actually a combination of two other antibiotic molecules, quinupristin and dalfopristin. On their own each molecule is a mild antibiotic, but when combined they form a molecules that kills bacteria by inhibiting protein synthesis within the bacteria, making it unable to function. Synercid has been released to patients on an emergency basis, or when all other options have failed. In these trials the drug has shown promise, with 70% of the 95 patients that participated showing improvement or reversal of their infection.
Sparfloxacin was also developed by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, although for a slightly different purpose. It is meant as a more general antibiotic that can destroy many different bacteria. It is classified as a flouroquinolone, and it is another evolution in this class of antibiotics. Since this type of antibiotic already exists, bacteria may have an easier time adapting to resist Sparfloxacin than they would with Synercid, which forms a whole new class of antibiotic. In testing, however, Sparfloxacin has helped fight off many infections, such as Pneumonia, sinusitis, and bacterial bronchitis.
There are many other drugs that are being developed to help fight resistant bacteria. Upjohn, another company involved in development of antibiotics, is developing a new class of antibiotics called oxazolidinones. These drugs inhibit protein synthesis in bacteria in much the same way that Synercid does. However, these drugs are still under development.
By constantly developing new drugs we are failing to solve the real problem with these bacteria. With each new drug we produce, the bacteria merely evolves to resist it. In order to stop this cycle, new solutions must be found; solutions that will not be obsolete in a few years as these new drugs will likely be.
Care can also be taken to prevent the spread of bacteria whenever possible. In hospitals this is of the most importance. Hands must be washed and all potential bacterial breeding grounds need to be sterilized. There are many different procedures that could be undertaken to keep bacterial spread to a minimum, and this in turn will help keep bacteria from sharing resistance and becoming stronger.
One other procedural technique may be to remove certain antibiotics from circulation for period of time so that the bacterial no longer need their resistance to these drugs. They will evolve to the point where they are no longer resistant to these drugs, and once the drugs are put back in circulation, they will be effective for a time. Thus, drugs can be revolved in and out of use to keep bacterial resistance in check.
There are a few possible medicinal solutions as well. Research is being conducted to study the effects of acidity on bacteria. As their environment becomes more acidic, bacteria have a harder time of surviving. Perhaps sometime in the future new drugs may be developed to raise the acidity of the area of infection in an effort to cure the patient. Also, new drugs are being looked at that can prevent bacteria from passing on their resistance traits to non-resistant bacteria. They would block the path of the information transfer so that the bacteria would be unable to evolve, and they could be treated with normal antibiotics. The problem with these solutions is that the bacteria may still be able to evolve to defeat these drugs as well.
It is likely that no real solution will be found, and we will be continually running a race to outwit bacteria. However, with all the techniques available to us we can at least keep the race from going too fast.
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