A mineral found at health food stores could be the key to developing a new line of antibiotics for bacteria that commonly cause diarrhea, tooth decay and, in some severe cases, death.
The trace mineral selenium is found in a number of proteins in both bacterial cells and human cells called selenoproteins. University of Central Florida Associate Professor William Self's research shows that interrupting the way selenoproteins are made can halt the growth of the super bug Clostridium difficile and Treponema denticola, a major contributor to gum disease.
Infections of Clostridium difficile (commonly known as C-diff) lead to a spectrum of illnesses ranging from severe diarrhea to colitis, which can cause death. It's a life-threatening problem in hospitals and nursing homes worldwide, and the number of cases is on the rise. There are an estimated 500,000 cases per year in the United States alone. Between 15,000 to 20,000 people die each year while infected with this superbug. Treponema denticola is one of leading causes of gum disease and costs individuals thousands of dollars in dental care each year.
Self's findings are published in the May and June editions of the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry and the Journal of Bacteriology. The National Institutes of Health and the Florida Department of Health funded the research, which was conducted at UCF during the past three years.
"It's the proof of principle that we are excited about," Self said from his research lab at UCF. "No one has ever tried this approach, and it could potentially be a source for new narrow spectrum antibiotics that block bacteria that require selenium to grow."
The key discovery occurred when the team found that the gold drug Auranofin, used to treat arthritis, impacted selenium's metabolism process. The chemical reaction changes the selenium, which prevents bacteria from using it to grow. Auranofin is an FDA
'/>"/>
| Contact: Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala zkotala@mail.ucf.edu 407-823-6120 University of Central Florida Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Newly discovered epidermal growth factor receptor active in human pancreatic cancers
2. Newly discovered gene plays vital role in cancer
3. DNA evidence is in, newly discovered species of fish dubbed H. psychedelica
4. Newly described contaminant sources in Katrina-flooded homes pose health risks
5. UC Davis research shows that newly discovered drug reduces heart enlargement
6. Obesity starts in the head? 6 newly discovered genes for obesity have a neural effect
7. Newly found enzymes may play early role in cancer
8. Newly identified gene powerful predictor of colon cancer metastasis
9. Newly-discovered mechanism can explain the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome
10. Genes newly explained effect on height may change tumor disorder treatment
11. Newly discovered molecular switch helps decide cell type in early embryo development
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |