OLD SOLUTIONS FOR A NEW CRISIS: ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE AND ANCIENT ALTERNATIVES. COULD THERE BE HOPE?

 


When Antibiotics Stop Working

Imagine this, you get a bacterial infection, go to the doctor, get prescribed antibiotics, and they don’t work. 

The infection lingers, maybe even gets worse. Now everything is more puzzling than actually noticed or realized from the day you got the bacterial infection. 

It's not only you.

This is becoming more common, and often is a part of concern, in terms of treating bacterial infections. The reason is something called antibiotic resistance.

So what exactly is that?

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria evolve ways to survive the drugs meant to kill them. It’s a survival tactic, which is part of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. 

The theory suggests, the organisms on earth change over time, and those with advantageous traits in specific environments to help them survive will be selected by nature, in a process, termed as natural selection.

Therefore, when bacteria are exposed more frequently to antibiotics, the bacteria with more adaptable traits through random mutation caused by the environmental pressure (antibiotics), can bypass the antibiotics, and as they reproduce, give rise to a population of bacteria resistant to antibiotics or give more resistant genetics to their offspring.

The more we expose bacteria to antibiotics, especially when used improperly or too frequently, the more chances they get to develop resistance.

Below is a video, by Ted-ED explaining antibiotic resistance.

https://youtu.be/znnp-Ivj2ek?si=M1oe1OTQekSStlWb 

Here’s what it means for a microbe, instead of being killed by the drug, the bacteria might pump it out and break it down, or even change its own structure so the antibiotic can’t stick to the bacteria's surface, think of it, like shapeshifting to make it troublesome to be spotted. Once that happens, the infection becomes harder or sometimes impossible to treat.

Below is an overview of antimicrobial resistance, by World Health Organization (WHO) as of 2023.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance

And here’s the scary part, we’re running out of new antibiotics, and the ones we have are starting to fail. Below is a video by 60 Minutes of an experiment which shows, how bacteria has adapted into getting past antibiotics.

https://youtu.be/bDa4-nSc7J8?si=PRrDfVh4bzj_4KEd

But maybe…the past has something to offer.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Traditional Antimicrobials: Nature’s Hidden Arsenal

Long before synthetic antibiotics, people used plants, minerals, and microbes to fight infections. These traditional remedies weren’t always called "antibacterial," but they worked in ways that modern science is now starting to understand.

  • Honey: Used in many cultures as a wound treatment. It has natural antibacterial properties thanks to its acidity, hydrogen peroxide content, and ability to dehydrate bacteria.
  • Turmeric (Curcuma longa): A staple in Ayurveda, turmeric contains curcumin, a compound with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. It doesn't just kill bacteria, it can also stop them from forming biofilms (protective layers).
  • Garlic: Known for its compound allicin, which has antibacterial and antifungal properties.
  • Clay and Earth-based therapies: Certain clays have natural antibiotic activity, often due to the presence of metal ions and unique microbial populations.
  • Fermented pastes and teas: These often carried beneficial bacteria that competed with or suppressed harmful microbes, especially on skin or in the gut.

While not as concentrated or targeted as modern antibiotics, these treatments often worked with the body, rather than just against the bacteria. So maybe there is hope?

Modern Medicine’s Dilemma: Powerful, But Limited

Antibiotics are one of modern medicine’s greatest achievements. But their power also comes with problems:

  • Overuse: In humans, animals, and agriculture, antibiotics are often used when not needed, or not finished properly, which fuels resistance.
  • One-Target Focus: Most antibiotics are designed to kill or inhibit specific bacterial functions or species. That’s great for precision, but it also makes it easier for bacteria to evolve around them.
  • Collateral Damage: Antibiotics often wipe out helpful bacteria in the gut, leaving people more vulnerable to other infections or health issues.
  • Resistance on the Rise: “Superbugs” like MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and drug-resistant E. coli are becoming harder to treat each year.

Can Ancient Wisdom Offer Modern Answers?

Researchers are now looking to traditional knowledge for ideas to fight resistance.

  • Plant Compounds as Resistance Breakers: Some herbal extracts don’t just kill bacteria, they also make them more sensitive to antibiotics by disabling their defenses.
  • Bacteriophages: These are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. They were explored before antibiotics became mainstream, and are now being reconsidered as an alternative or complement, especially when antibiotics fail.
  • Synergistic Treatments: Combining traditional antimicrobials (like garlic or ginger) with low-dose antibiotics could offer more sustainable treatments.
  • Rewilding the Microbiome: Instead of just killing bacteria, some traditional approaches restore microbial balance. This can help the immune system fight infections more effectively on its own.

Final thoughts from the Biolab desk: Can Old and New Join Forces?

Antibiotic resistance is a complex problem, but it’s not hopeless. Maybe we don’t need just newer drugs. Maybe we also need older strategies, re-examined and backed by science.

Traditional antimicrobials may not replace antibiotics, but they can support, enhance, or even prevent the need for them. They remind us that the microbial world is not just something to fight, but something to work with.

So what do you think? Should we look deeper into nature’s medicine cabinet, or focus on developing new pharmaceuticals in the lab? Or maybe, just maybe, we need both, to give the bacteria a harder time, and give ourselves a better chance.

Below is a video by Ted-ED, shading more insight into how this problem can be curbed.

https://youtu.be/ZvhFeGEDFC8?si=nd_WIxnvp2N_j4Pv

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BEHIND THE URGES AND CRAVINGS: BIOLOGY OF DRUG ADDICTION

Image
The Power of the Brain and Nervous System The human brain is often considered the most complex organ in the body, controlling everything from involuntary actions like breathing to our most complex behaviors and emotions.  At the heart of this complexity lies the nervous system, a vast network of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate through electrical and chemical signals. This communication is vital not just for basic survival, but also for learning, memory, mood regulation, and decision-making. At its core, the nervous system can be broken down into two main parts, which include, the central nervous system (CNS) , which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS) , made up of nerves that extend throughout the rest of the body. How Neurons Communicate: The Role of Neurotransmitters and the Synaptic Cleft Neurons communicate with each other through specialized connections known as synapses . When a neuron receives an electrical signal, it se...
Read more

FROM SIDEWALK CRACKS TO CORAL REEFS: KENYA'S BIODIVERSITY FROM CITY TO SEA

Image
  When you hear the word biodiversity, what pops into your head? Maybe lions in the Maasai Mara? Or coral reefs in Mombasa? Fair enough, those are definitely part of it. But here’s the thing, biodiversity is literally everywhere. It’s in the mold growing on your leftover ugali. It’s in the weeds pushing through the pavement in downtown Nairobi. It’s in the birds that wake you up before your alarm. Biodiversity just means all the different kinds of life, from plants, animals, insects, fungi, microbes and many more, and how they all interact to keep nature running. So, since it’s World Biodiversity Day, we figured it’s time we had a little talk about just how close biodiversity actually is. Right here in Kenya, stay tuned, you might be surprised. 🧬 First Things First: What is Biodiversity, Anyway? Biodiversity (short for biological diversity) is basically the whole cast of life, from plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and the microscopic weirdos too small to notice, plus h...
Read more

DAILY TALKS BETWEEN YOUR GUT AND SKIN: HOW BELLY BACTERIA IMPACT THE BREAKOUTS ON YOUR SKIN

Image
You’ve probably heard the saying, “You are what you eat.”  But did you know your gut bacteria might actually be the secret players behind your skin’s health. Oh yeah, not to forget those frustrating breakouts? Just like you and your friends have that group chat, where you converse about your most favourite topics, that help you bond and keep together, your gut and skin, definitely borrow a leaf from you and you friends. Welcome to the fascinating world of the gut–skin axis ,  a biological conversation between your belly’s microbes and your skin cells that can affect everything from acne to eczema and beyond. 🧬 What Is the Gut–Skin Axis? The gut–skin axis refers to the bidirectional communication between your gastrointestinal system and your skin. It’s a way of saying that what happens inside your gut doesn’t stay inside your gut, it can influence skin health, and vice versa. How? Through: Immune signaling: Gut microbes help regulate your immune system, which...
Read more