Antibiotic resistance (AMR) is a global issue, affecting countries across all regions and income levels, posing significant challenges to public health and treatment efficacy. Persons with spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D) are particularly susceptible to antibiotic resistance due to their heightened risk of recurrent infections. This blog takes a look at these themes in releation to supporting the immune system to cope with chronic urinary tract infections, a topic that my own health challenges have led me to explore.
In response to this rising challenge of antibiotic resistance, the government announced its new national action plan on antimicrobial resistance, a five year plan to protect people and animals from the risk of drug-resistant infections.Researchers are making progress, but clinical trials need to be developed to ensure safety and efficacy in humans.
Researchers from Imperial College London have made significant strides in combating antibiotic resistance. They have discovered a method to impair antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as E. coli and K. pneumoniae, by inhibiting a protein that drives resistance formation within these bacteria. Dr. Furniss from Imperial emphasizes that “due to the challenges in discovering new antibiotics, it is crucial to develop strategies that extend the lifespan of existing antimicrobials.”
Additional progress was made in January 2024 when scientists discovered a new class of antibiotics that can kill one of the major drug-resistant bacteria threatening human health. Gram-negative bacteria are protected by an outer shell containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS). No new antibiotic for Gram-negative bacteria have been approved in more than 50 years, but this study with Zosurabalpin successfully treated highly drug-resistant strains of pneumonia and sepsis in mice, and is now being tested in human trials.
Protecting our own health and that of others around us, means taking steps to help prevent antibiotic resistance. This starts with using preventative measures related to good nutrition and certain foods that can help avoid antibiotic use whenever possible.
If antibiotics are essential, standard measures should be taken to inhibit the development of resistance: clinical recommendations suggest:
- Avoid their use with viruses.
- Avoid saving antibiotics for next time.
- Take a course exactly as prescribed and complete it to the end.
- Do not take antibiotics prescribed for another person.
For people like myself with SCI/D, other effective preventative measures like good hygiene and catheter maintenance are crucial, and a prevention strategy may include use of grapefruit juice and seed extract, D-mannose, Cranberry juice or extract, and choosing a diet that limits formation of debris and stones in the bladder or kidneys, which can attract further infection. This means stablising the pH of the urinary tract through diet: minimising intake of sugary and processed food, being measured in eating oxolate-rich foods, and also limiting dietary sources rich in purines.
Thanks to the Harpal Clinic London for helping me explore my own health more deeply.