ADRSupport Community  

Go Back   ADRSupport Community > General Discussion > The Big File

The Big File All issues not easily categorized in the above forums are here. Comments on general health, diet, "getting comfortable," and more are here.


Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-04-2008, 08:22 PM
Liz Liz is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 195
Default

I just saw this story on my local news. Click on the video in the article to watch what is described below (the white blood cells chasing the bugs in the body).

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...ver&id=6306639

Company hopes to combat superbugs
Monday, August 04, 2008 | 7:27 PM

EMERYVILLE, CA (KGO) -- A Bay Area biotech company believes it may have a new way of killing so-called superbugs, the antibiotic resistant germs spreading through hospitals across the country. The key agent is something taken from human body's own immune system.

For Ron Najafi, Ph.D., it's like watching the perfect murder.

"The white blood cell is chasing the bacteria. It's ignoring the red blood cells, so it chases the bacteria until it catches it," said Najafi.

But it's the weapon of choice he's really interested in.

"Now it is producing chlorine-generating molecules, similar to bleach and destroys it. That's what we're doing here," said Najafi.

Najafi's company, Novabay, based in Emeryville, is creating synthetic versions of the same molecules your white blood cells use to kill germs.

He says the goal is to take on newer strains of bacteria which have grown resistant to regular antibiotics.

"We are doing that topically by pouring the solution or gel ointment of top of bacteria and eventually we can deliver more of this molecule than the white blood cells can," said Najafi.

The compound, dubbed NVC-422, is being tested for both cuts and skin infections and also as a nasal spray.

The hope is that it can protect hospital patients from so-called superbugs like MSRA, a drug-resistant staphylococcus that has turned up in facilities across the country.

If NVC-422 is successful, its creators believe it could help usher in a new era of medicines that bacteria and viruses do not become resistant to.

Medicines that kill germs on the outside of the body, in much the same way our immune system does on the inside, without giving them the chance to mutate.

"Because antibiotics invariably are creating more resistances. So if we use less antibiotics we'll be better off," said Najafi.

The nasal version of NVC-422 is in the second phase clinical trial right now and it could become available in the next three-to-five years.

(Copyright ©2008 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
__________________
scoliosis; 1998 snowboarding injury->DDD L3-S1 w/annular tears/protrusions; 2007 episodes of rt foot drop
2007 Prodisc ADR L4-S1
L4-5 Prodisc tilted/facet issues; old L5 nerve damage
2009 L4-5 Prodisc ADR removed and revised to XLIF w/posterior instrumentation
massive hemorrhage from tear of inferior vena cava at right iliac vein due to adhesion from Prodisc op
2010 not fused; as a result of complications permanent nerve damage to lumbar plexus causing severe rt leg, hip, groin pain
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Question about contacting insurance company... mgs32 Insurance Hell 2 11-08-2007 09:32 PM
Letter to Insurance Company go*big*red The Big File 5 02-16-2006 03:11 PM
Insurance Company Medical Directors NCFUSED The Big File 2 02-26-2005 06:23 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:54 AM.


© Copyright 2006-2023 ADRSupport.org All rights reserved.