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I would find it hard to answer eehitr way. I think multidrug resistance is a serious and potential threat, and there have been recommendations for some time that reports, such as that published by Walsh et al. in Lancet Infectious Diseases, be published and acted upon.Molecular epidemiological studies are a crucial underpinning to work on predicting antimicrobial resistance (PAR), especially when these elements are associated with, or are in the same ecological niche, as promiscuous mobile genetic elements, and arising in nosocomial environments.However, whilst the a/biotic pipeline could certainly have been considerably better stocked, the efforts of numerous small biotechs and academic researcher looking at alternatives to the rather poultry introduction of new a/biotic classes, seems to be chronically undervalued. There are valiant efforts to target bacterial virulence, the mechanisms of horizontal transfer, and to inhibit the means by which bacteria resistant antibiotics in all cases rendering more time for new drug discovery, but crucially more time in clinical therapy. Is it likely that we will be dealing with infections in the UK that are completely resistant to antibiotics within 10 years? Or is this simply a case of media hysteria? Yes, if the funding is not made available and we rely on the efforts of a (majority) disinterest of large pharmaceuticals to invest in new drug class leads, we will be dealing with increased prevalence of multidrug resistance as we already are in isolated pockets with some strains of Gram (+)ve bacterial pathogens.Media hype should be reflective, and not doomsaying. They should be pointing out the threats, but identifying the huge efforts being taken to provide alternative solutions brought about by the lack of real investment. We know so much more about bacteriology, molecular epidemioloigy and drug discovery now than we did in the heyday of a.biotic discovery. A/biotics were used for years without a full understanding of their mechanisms, nor the mechanisms of resistance. Many instances of a/biotic resistance spread could (and should) have ben predicted and prevented.Ironically, some of the systems biology, high-throughput infrastructures that have been stealing so much of the research funding pot (that could have gone into a/biotic and resistance research), could actually now be of some considerably use in speeding up the whole process of recognising new resistance determinants, tracking their spread and identifying resistance trends that can be exploited to clinical benefit.
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(VISITOR) AUTHOR'S NAME
Kick
MESSAGE TIMESTAMP
16 december 2014, 20:31:23
AUTHOR'S IP LOGGED
62.210.78.179
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