They stopped helping
What will replace antibiotics
RIA Novosti, Nikolay Guryanov
According to research, the intestinal microflora is negatively affected by antibiotics. At the same time, due to harmful bacteria, they lose their effectiveness. According to scientists, a possible alternative is the transplantation of beneficial microbes from a healthy person to a sick person.
The whole life is in the stomach
Trillions of bacteria with a total weight of one to three kilograms live in the intestine. Judging by numerous studies, almost all aspects of life and health depend on them. In particular, the quality of the microbiome (a collection of microorganisms) is associated with the slimness or fullness of the body, immunity, the state of the heart and lungs, psychological and mental well-being, as well as longevity.
The microbiome depends on many factors — heredity, habits. Its composition and health effects vary depending on living conditions. For example, it is known that people from developed countries do not have such a variety of intestinal bacteria as those who live in the third world. When immigrants get into a more "sterile" environment, the number of microorganisms they have decreases. This correlates with the frequency of autoimmune diseases: in rich countries it is much higher than in poor ones.
The environment influences the "population" of the intestine, and hence the immunity — the body is more resistant to diseases if a person grew up in a large family or in the same house with a dog.
The reverse side of the coin
In general, the more types of microbes in the intestines and the more balanced the microflora, the higher the chances of being healthy both in body and spirit. However, antibiotics, which remain the main means of combating harmful bacteria, significantly reduce this diversity.
In a new study (McNamara et al., Oral antibiotics reduce voluntary exercise behavior in athletic mice), American scientists have clearly demonstrated how a ten-day antibiotic intake "burns out" colonies of millions of aerobic bacteria to an undetectable amount. The authors of the work showed that the drugs negatively affect the motivation and athletic performance of athletes.
The harmful effects of antibiotics on symbiotic bacteria have been known before, but neither the medical staff nor the general public are still aware of the risks of taking these drugs. On the contrary, they are prescribed at the slightest cough. Experts are sounding the alarm about this — both in Western Europe and in the USA.
Widespread and sometimes improper use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of ultra-resistant strains. So, in 2017, a case of death from a superbug resistant to 26 medications was recorded in the United States.
Although work on the creation of a new type of antibiotics (for example, synthetic ones) continues, the appearance of an increasing number of multidrug-resistant bacteria puts the future of this type of drugs in question.
New technique
One of the promising methods of combating harmful bacteria in the West today is considered to be fecal transplantation — in fact, the replacement of bad microflora with a healthy one. In this way, it is proposed to treat diarrhea, liver diseases and even COVID-19. And also to fight the body's resistance to antibiotics. There is a known case when microbe transplantation helped a man whose intestines produced alcohol.
Fecal microbiota transplantation is carried out from a healthy donor to a sick recipient. Then the microbes and compounds contained in the donor's excrement are fixed in the recipient's intestines, helping to suppress harmful bacteria.
There are suggestions that transplantation from close relatives is more effective than from the first comer. The question of finding the ideal donor is the subject of separate studies.
The transplantation procedure itself can be different: by colonoscopy, using an enema or through a tube inserted into the nose, stomach or small intestine. However, there is an easier way — special capsules that you just need to swallow.
There are nuances
However, experts are not in a hurry to declare fecal transplantation a panacea for all ailments.
"The procedure is used to treat a limited number of diseases," explains Doctor of Biological Sciences, professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and Rutgers University (USA) Konstantin Severinov. — Relatively speaking, with pneumonia caused by microbes, this will not help, as well as with bacteremia (the presence of bacteria in the blood. — Ed.)".
According to the scientist, in addition to the potential unattractiveness for the consumer, such a technique may have other disadvantages. For example, doctors have serious doubts about the long-term effect.
"Many such procedures have a short validity period, after which everything goes back to normal. Apparently, because the initial human microbiota is determined by genetics," the biologist believes.
He notes that a small number of ailments — for example, Crohn's disease — are really difficult to treat, in particular, with antibiotics. But fecal transplantation works against them. In the USA, they even received clinical approval of this method. In Russia, such technologies are not used yet.
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