Have safe sex with Condoms Cause Gonorrhoea Would soon become Untreatable - CDC cautions

Rising Untreatable "Super bug" Gonorrhoea Spreading Globally

     Gonorrhoea known commonly as “the clap” or “the drip” is the second most common bacteria sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK after Chlamydia, with almost 35,000 cases reported in England in 2014, And about 78 million people catch gonorrhoea every year. Anyone who is sexually active is at risk and any kind of sex, including anal and oral sex, can pass it along.

It was once easily treated with a quick dose of antibiotics but, like all bacterial infections, strains have evolved that can evade the mechanisms used by antibiotics “Gonorrhoea is a very smart bud” said Teodora Wi, a human reproduction specialist at the Geneva-based UN health agency. “Every time you introduce a new type of antibiotic to treat it, this bug develops resistance to it.”

   But the new antibiotic resistant strain developed through a mistreatment of gonorrhoea bacteria left in the throat after oral sex. Gonorrhoea in the throat often looks like strep throat, so doctors prescribe standard antibiotics, which then mix with the bacteria creating antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. Both of the current antibiotics used to treat gonorrhoea- Ceftriaxone and Azithromycin are becoming increasingly ineffective against the new strain.

“To date, three extensively drug resistant gonococcal strains with high-level resistance to ceftriaxone (super-bugs) have also been reported- in France, Japan and Spain” Wi and colleagues wrote in their report.

 

U.S. authorities have had some success against gonorrhoea by using both Ceftriaxone and azithromycin- but it’s unclear how long such a regimen will deter the super gonorrhoea.

The WHO reports urges countries to encourage the development of new drugs and a vaccine against gonorrhoea and urges better surveillance and treatment in the meantime.

     Three new drugs are in the development pipeline, solithromycin, which has completed a phase III Trial, and two other drugs which have completed phase II trials, but it is unclear how long it will take these drugs to reach the pharmaceutical market and whether they will prove to be stronger than the super-bug

Before Then, health experts recommend safe sex with condoms, communication with partners, frequent testing, and old boring standby, abstinence.

   According to the CDC, symptoms in men include:

• A burning sensation when urinating
• A white, Yellow or green discharge from the penis
• Painful or swollen testicles

Most women with gonorrhoea do not have any symptoms. But they can include:

• Painful or burning sensation when urinating
• Increased Vaginal discharge
• Vaginal bleeding between periods

“You can get gonorrhoea by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has gonorrhoea. A pregnant woman with gonorrhoea can give the infection to her baby during childbirth.” CDC cautions

Scorpion Venom used in The Treatment of Cancer Cells

           In the development of new drugs taking something from nature and modifying it has been successful tactic employed by medicinal chemists for years. Now with the use of venom, researchers are turning once- discarded drug candidates into usable drugs.

            Venom is a form of toxin secreted by some animals (e.g. scorpion, bee, snake e.tc) for the purpose of defending or causing harm to another. Off course we all know that venom can harm and kill human. However in low doses, venom will not affect normal cells while it may affect cancer cells, since cancer cells are most sensitive to e.g. modulation of various channels much needed for the very fast cellular division. Once such substance with anti-cancer potential is the cardiac glycoside Bufalin extracted from toad skin which is inhibiting a relevant ion channel for cancer cells i.e. the sodium- potassium exchange channel.

       Scorpion venom has been gaining interest as a source of new drugs, it contains a mixture of biological chemicals called peptides. Some of which are known to trigger cell death by forming proes in biological membranes.. cell death can be useful if we are able to target say tumor cells to auto-destruct.

         Investigation carried out by specialist of the Faculty of chemistry at the university of Colima (UCOL), who have identified peptides(amino acids molecules) that destroy cancer cells in vitro.

 This toxins can have very potent effects. For instance one particular small peptide known as TsAP-1, isolated from the Brazillian yellow scorpion (Tityus serrulatus) has both anti-microbial and anti cancerproperties.

            

      Laura Leticia ValdezVelazquez, Head of research, said that when the toxin, derived from scorpion venom, invades channels in the cells with this disease it produces cellular damage until killing them.

    “Centruroides tecomanus species is one of the most poisonous scorpion found in colima and we have identified a highly selective group of peptides, which indicates that they could specifically bind to cancer cells and cause their deaths” she indicates.”

        Diluted venom from blue scorpions from cuba, has been used to fight cancer for long time now by tens of thousands of patients. Though still in research phase, many patients report that tumors have disappeared upon taking the venom.

      

Mechanism of action

Kills cancer cells by ion modulation: 

A major anticancer action of scorpion venom is based on Chlorotoxin (CTX). This peptide found in the venom blocks small-conductance chloride channels that are highly relevant in some cancers for migration and invasion of healthy cells. It has been shown that chlorotoxin has the ability to interact with chloride channels in membrane protein in e.g glioma cells preventing trans-membrane chlorides fluxes .

Inhibits Metastasis:

Chlorotoxin can also bind to MMP-2 (Matrix metalloproteinase), a surface protein over-expressed in highly invasive tumours. the MMP proteins are involves in the breakdown of extracellular matrix in normal physiological processes such as embryonic development, reproduction and tissue remodelling, as well as in disease processes such as arthritis and metastasis.

Although the research is at a primary stage, this indicates the use of venom from scorpions used against cancer. Experts have been observing in Labortory animals that the presence of such toxins releases dopamine, and often effective drugs have been discovered but not commerialised due to delivery of the drugs.

Reference:

Chlorotoxin: a helpful natural scorpion peptide to diagnose glioma and fight tumour invasion

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25826056

Chlorotoxin is a small 36 amino- acid peptide identified from the venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus, Initially, Chlorotoxin was used as pharmacological tool to characterize chloride channels.

Antibiotic Resistance

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

What is an antibiotic?

 Antibiotics, also known as antimicrobial drugs, are drugs that fight 

infections caused by bacteria in both humans and animals. Antibiotics fight 

these infections either by killing the bacteria or making it difficult for the bacteria to grow and multiply. Antibiotics do not have any effect on viruses.

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance occurs when an antibiotic has lost its ability to effectively control or kill bacterial growth; in other words, the bacteria are "resistant" and continue to multiply in the presence of therapeutic levels of an antibiotic.

Why should I care about antibiotic resistance?

    Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world's most pressing public health problems. Antibiotic resistance can cause illnesses that were once easily treatable with antibiotics to become dangerous infections, prolonging suffering for children and adults. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can spread to family members, schoolmates, and co-workers, and may threaten your community. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are often more difficult to kill and more expensive to treat. In some cases, the antibiotic-resistant infections can lead to serious disability or even death.

Although some people think a person becomes resistant to specific drugs, it is the bacteria, not the person, that become resistant to the drugs.

What is the extent of the problem?

     Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases. A growing list of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning and gonorrhoea – are becoming harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat as antibiotics become less effective.

  Where antibiotics can be bought for human or animal use without a prescription, the emergence and spread of resistance is made worse. Similarly, in countries without standard treatment guidelines, antibiotics are often over-prescribed by health workers and veterinarians and over-used by the public.     Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.

How do bacteria become resistant?

Some bacteria are naturally resistant to certain types of antibiotics. However, bacteria may also become resistant in two ways: 1) by a genetic mutation or 2) by acquiring resistance from another bacterium

 The Resistance mechanism 

1.     Impermeable barrier: the bacterial cell membrane develops an impermeable barrier which blocks antibiotics.

2.     Target modification: modification of components of the bacteria which are targeted by the antibiotic, meaning the antibiotic can no longer bind properly to its target in order to destroy the bacteria.

3.     Antibiotic modification: the cell produces substances (usually a protein called an “enzyme”) that inactivate the antibiotic before it can harm the bacteria.

4.     Efflux pump mechanism: the antibiotic is actively pumped out of the bacteria so that it cannot harm the bacteria.

How should I use antibiotics to protect myself and my community from antibiotic resistance?

 Here is what you can do to help prevent antibiotic resistance:

·         Tell your healthcare professional you are concerned about antibiotic resistance.

·         Ask your healthcare professional if there are steps you can take to feel better and get symptomatic relief without using antibiotics.

·         Take the prescribed antibiotic exactly as your healthcare professional tells you.

·         Discard any leftover medication

·         Ask your healthcare professional about vaccines recommended for you and your family to prevent infections that may require an antibiotic.

·         Never skip doses or stop taking an antibiotic early unless your healthcare professional tells you to do so.

·         Never take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold or the flu.

·         Never pressure your healthcare professional to prescribe an antibiotic.

·         Never save antibiotics for the next time you get sick.

·         Never take antibiotics prescribed for someone else.

How can Health professionals prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance?

·         Prevent infections by ensuring your hands, instruments, and environment are clean.

·         Only prescribe and dispense antibiotics when they are needed, according to current guidelines.

·         Report antibiotic-resistant infections to surveillance teams.

·         Talk to your patients about how to take antibiotics correctly, antibiotic resistance and the dangers of misuse.

·         Talk to your patients about preventing infections (for example, vaccination, hand washing, safer sex, and covering nose and mouth when sneezing).

•   Prescribing an antibiotic that targets the bacteria that is most likely causing their patient’s illness when an antibiotic is likely to provide benefit.