Disease-fighting research for animals and humans

Thursday, October 2, 2008

There could be a new weapon in the war against infections.

Anytime you cut or burn yourself, one of the biggest roadblocks to healing is infection.

That's especially true for burn patients and those with extremely sensitive skin. Now, there could be a new weapon in the war against infections.

A firefighter and a belluga whale seem like an unlikely pair.

But they're both part of a unique trial, testing a new anti-microbial compound. It's intended to boost the effectiveness of antibiotics in fighting dangerous infections.

"We can take even the most drug-resistant bacteria and make them susceptible to very low concentrations of what we call low-class antibiotics; things that aren't really considered to work anymore. We can take those very drug-resistant bacteria and kill them," explains Dr. Branson Ritchie with the University of Georgia.

John, a firefighter, was the first human to be treated with the compound after an explosion left him with first and second degree burns. After twelve days of treatment, there was tremendous improvement.

Meanwhile, University of Georgia Veterinarians found with a few modifications, they could adapt the same compound to protect beluga whales from dangerous infections.

"The bioadhesive will stick to those lesions, keep them protected from their aquatic environment and let their bodies do the natural defense that they need to do while protecting it from the environment," explains Dr. Ritchie.

The human anti-microbial Silvion has received FDA marketing approval and is available to treat everything from skin cuts to burn injuries. The animal version, Tricide,"is being used at zoos and aquariums to prevent infection and promote healing.