YEISON CANTOR RODRIGUEZ

MEDICINE STUDENT

REVOLUTIONARY NEW

ANTIBIOTIC KILLS

DRUG-RESISTANT

GERMS AND GROWING

HUMAN KIDNEYS IN

RATS SPARKS ETHICAL

DEBATE

Molecular Biology

Yeison Cantor Rodriguez

Teacher

Lina Maria Martinez

Sanchez

Janaury 26th, 2015

Medellin-Colombia

MEDICAL UTILITY

Molecular engineering has allowed the design

of new antibiotics with different molecular

targets to conventional ones, ensuring not

only its effectiveness against the

microorganisms, but avoiding the induction

of physiological resistance mechanisms.

Theoretically, teixobactin prevents bacterial

adaptation processes, because its molecular

target is structural instead encoded in the

bacterial genome, which it is a key process

required in order to generate resistance.

In late stages of diseases organ failure is an

inevitable stage and, the only solution is the

transplantation process. Production of vital

organs is a necessity that generates great

hope for patients on waiting lists, although

many of these technologies are in the early

stages of experimentation and there will be

not a real option in a short time.

REFERENCESGholipour, Bahar. Revolutionary New

Antibiotic Kills Drug-Resistant Germs.

LiveScience

http://news.discovery.com/human/h

ealth/revolutionary-new-antibiotic-

kills-drug-resistant-germs-150107.htm

Lewis,Tanya.Growing Human Kidneys

in Rats Sparks Ethical Debate.

LiveScience.

http://www.livescience.com/49503-

human-kidneys-grown-in-rats.html

INTRODUCTION

Modern medicine faces great

challenges to improve the life quality

of modern society, due to the

limitations of science on some fields,

among which are the development of

antibiotics and new techniques on

transplants.

Natural development of antibiotics

resistance by bacteria has been a

problem for disease control. Medical

researchers have found it necessary to

explore new ways to fight the

adaptability of bacteria, trying to do

not create new strains of superbugs.

Technology associated with

transplants has increased the life

expectancy of patients with diseases

of various etiologies. However there is

the great limitation of the number of

organs available for replacement

procedures. Currently new techniques

for organ procurement from fetal

tissues are being developed, but this

technique involves profound ethical

implications.

These issues are briefly developed

below.

REVOLUTIONARY NEW

ANTIBIOTIC KILLS DRUG-

RESISTANT GERMSJan 7, 2015 03:00 PM ET // by Bahar

Gholipour, LiveScience

Recent studies resulted in the discovery of a

new antimicrobial drug called teixobactin,

which would revolutionize the treatment of

infections caused by resistant bacteria.

Bacterial resistance has been a public health

issue and therefore a reason fundamental for

the study of new therapeutic alternatives to

avoid this adverse effect of antibiotics.

Lipids are the components of wall cell with

less genetic variability in their synthesis

process, which decreases the ability of

bacteria to acquire resistance if this

mechanism is attacked. Teixobactin

recognizes the bacterial cell wall lipids and

by binding to it causes its collapse and cell

lysis.

It is also important to note that studies on

teixobactin still are not applicable to humans

and if further results are achieved the

probability of generating expected resistance

still exists.

STUDENT OBSERVATION

Bacterial resistance to broad-spectrum

antibiotics is the result of short-term

planning, due to the microorganisms are

fought regardless their responsiveness in the

long-term. This future therapeutic option

could be the front line in the treatment of

diseases such as tuberculosis which affects

hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

GROWING HUMAN

KIDNEYS IN RATS

SPARKS ETHICAL

DEBATEJanuary 21, 2015 12:07am ET// by

Tanya Lewis; LiveScience

More than 123,000 people in US need an

organ transplant and, about 21 people

die each day waiting for one.

In order to face this requirement

researchers have tried to explore new

methods for obtaining organs and

tissues. A new technique is implanting

the kidney (obtained from aborted

human fetuses) into a rat, where the

kidneys may mature and after that they

could be transplanted. This is a

wonderful idea but it generates a great

bioethical and moral debate by itself.

Bioethical discussion is the element that

stands in the future implementation of

these techniques because the origin of

the fetuses is a topic of great concern

and strong questions.

STUDENT OBSERVATION

Although the therapeutic utility is

immense and undeniable, the moral and

bioethical implications are complex for

its analysis, demanding a true regulatory

and supervisory bureau, because it is not

possible to think in a life using induced

abortions.

The change of molecular

target in the treatment

with antibiotics, future

ability to combat

bacterial resistance

Production of human

organs in vivo, in rats

Development of New drugs by molecular biology techniques

New antibiotics allow to take advantage of alternative mechanisms to attack the bacteria, reducing its adaptive capacity

New considerations to manufacture a medicament

Teixobactin

Teixobactin

Mechanisms of resistance

Processes of adaptability

Genetic variability

Specificity and selectivity

Bacterial resistance to broad-spectrum

antibiotics is the result of short-term planning,

due to the microorganisms are fought regardless

their responsiveness in the long-term. This

future therapeutic option could be the front line

in the treatment of diseases such as tuberculosis

which affects hundreds of thousands of people

worldwide.

Implant kidney into rats

Allows its maturation

Physiological regulation in order to simulate

human conditions

Rat immunosuppression to prevent immune

rejection

Low economic support

Generalized rejection

kidney from unborn

fetuses

Who could regulate

processes such high

complexity?

Bioethic discussion

Although the therapeutic utility is immense and

undeniable, the moral and bioethical implications

are complex for its analysis, demanding a true

regulatory and supervisory bureau, because it is

not possible to think in a life using induced

abortions.

REVOLUTIONARY NEW ANTIBIOTIC KILLS

DRUG-RESISTANT GERMS

Avoid uncontrollable emergence of bacterial strains resistant to a large

number of antibiotics

New and more effetive antimicrobial treatments for some disease such

as tuberculosis

Teixobactin attacks the structural lipids molecules of cell wall

GROWING HUMAN KIDNEYS IN RATS SPARKS

ETHICAL DEBATE

Reservoir of organs for transplantation

Pharmacodynamic studies in human organs

Kidneys and organs for everyone

Original source of organs and tissues

represents deep bioethical controversy

Gholipour, Bahar. Revolutionary New

Antibiotic Kills Drug-Resistant Germs.

LiveScience

http://news.discovery.com/human/health/

revolutionary-new-antibiotic-kills-drug-

resistant-germs-150107.htm

Lewis,Tanya.Growing Human Kidneys in Rats

Sparks Ethical Debate. LiveScience.

http://www.livescience.com/49503-human-

kidneys-grown-in-rats.html

YEISON CANTOR RODRIGUEZ

MEDICINE STUDENT