War on Bacterial Superbugs
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For those of us who feel that an antibiotic can be found to combat any bacterial infection, this prsentation was an eye opener, and we soon were asking ourselves “Where are we?” Most of us have heard of, or experienced, the scourge of so many hospitals, Golden Staph; but wait, there are many more such “superbugs”. We soon began to ask ourselves, “How close are we to a nightmarish return to a pre-antibiotic era?” |
Roger Nation is the Professor of Drug Disposition and Dynamics in the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University. He gained his PhD at Sydney University in 1977. He then worked at the University of Illinois at the Medical Carrier in Chicago, USA.
After his return to Australia, Roger has held a number of positions, the longest in duration being at the University of South Australia. Prior to moving to his current position late in 2001, he was Professor of Pharmacy in the School of Pharmaceutical, Molecular and Biomedical Sciences in Adelaide.
The world is facing an enormous and growing threat from the emergence of Gram-negative “superbugs”, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, that have a great facility for exchanging genetic material (DNA) among strains of the same species and even among different species.
This means that if a gram-negative bacterium either undergoes a genetic change (mutation) or acquires genetic material that confers resistance to an antibiotic, the bacterium may later share its DNA with another strain of bacteria and the second strain can become resistant as well.
Those most at risk are patients with weak immune systems and other serious illnesses.
Professor Nation and his team, in collaboration with the N.I.H in the U.S.A, and with financial assistance from the N.H. and M.R.C in Australia, are researching and clinically trialling the use of Colistin, an antibiotic developed some 50 years ago to overcome this dire threat which was at that time, given as an intramuscular injection for the treatment of gram-negative infections, but fell out of favour after aminoglycosides became available, because of its significant side effects.
The clinical trials taking place in Pittsburgh, Bangkok and Athens with Colistin Methanosulfonate in varying doses, are showing very encouraging results to the point where it is now felt that specific doses for maximum effect can be proposed.
It was an insight into the intense and extensive work being carried out. We are indeed privileged, in Australia, to have such a leader as Professor Nation and his dedicated team to combat this likely major catastrophe, and to help avoid the return to the days before effective antibiotics.