Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2344583/Silver-real...

Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: Adding it to antibiotics boosts the effectiveness by 1,000 times
Silver could be used to help fight antibiotic resistance Can make bugs which are antibiotic resistant treatable Works by making bacteria more leaky, allowing antibiotics to get inside them and kill them Britains top doctor says the rise of drug-resistant superbugs could trigger an apocalyptic scenario
By Fiona Macrae Science Correspondent PUBLISHED: 18:03 GMT, 19 June 2013 | UPDATED: 18:03 GMT, 19 June 2013

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Silver could be a precious weapon in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Scientists have shown that giving tiny amounts of silver at the same time as antibiotics makes the drugs up to a thousand times more effective. The finding comes in the wake of warnings by Britains top doctor that the rise of drug-resistant superbugs could trigger an apocalyptic scenario in which even routine operations such as hip surgery become deadly because we have run out of antibiotics.

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Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2344583/Silver-real...

Giving tiny amounts of silver at the same time as antibiotics makes the drugs up to a thousand times more effective

Professor Dame Sally Davies said that unless urgent action is taken, the ticking timebomb of growing antibiotic resistance could leave millions vulnerable to untreatable bugs within a generation. U.S. researcher Dr Jim Collins said: The number of antibiotic resistant strains in our hospitals and communities is growing and is growing dramatically and has been for some time. And this development is accompanied by a drop in new antibiotics being developed and approved. We are taking a different approach. Instead of trying to develop a completely new antibiotic, we are trying to enhance the ones we already have. In experiments on mice, the Boston University researchers found that giving silver with antibiotics made them between ten and a thousand times better at fighting infections. In some cases, bugs classed as antibiotic resistant became treatable.

Britain's top doctor warned the rise of drug-resistant superbugs (pictured) could trigger an 'apocalyptic scenario' in which routine operations become deadly

Although silver has long been known to have anti-bacterial properties, if used alone, it has to be given in such high amounts that it can be poisonous to the body.

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Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: ...

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The experiments suggest it will be safe to use it in very small amounts with existing antibiotics. The drugs could be laced with silver or covered in a fine coating of the precious metal and used to tackle dangerous stomach bugs, urinary tract infections or hard-to-treat films of bacteria that coat catheters. The research, detailed in the journal Science Translational Medicine, also worked out how silver helps kill bugs. The metal makes bacteria more leaky, allowing antibiotics to get inside them and kill them. Plus, it boosts production of dangerous oxygen molecules that aid and abet the death.

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Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: ...

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Just make sure silver, which may kill bacteria, also doesn't kill human cells. Silver is an element and can't be broken down, so they only way our bodies can get rid of it is via our kidneys. Silver could well work, but the right clinical studies have to be completed. It does take 8-12 years for a drug to make it to the market, and usually 9 out of 10 potential drugs fail these studies. - Merv S , Toronto, Canada, 20/6/2013 05:45 Click to rate Report abuse silver coins were placed in dressings during the roman times to fight infection....and somehow this is a breakthrough?..i think most would would see its not. - Dark Stanley , san diego, United States, 20/6/2013 05:34 Click to rate Report abuse I have worked in biotechnology for years. I don't want to take silver. There are unfortunate side effects,and that's only one reason. We are taking a different approach. Instead of trying to develop a completely new antibiotic, we are trying to enhance the ones we already have."...That is an effort in futility. It only promotes multi drug resistance in the long run. The reason we don't have new antibiotics is because starting in the 1980's we started defunding government research in medicine in a LARGE way. Reagan said, "The free market does it better", Well they don't and he was senile. Now that has become a touchstone. Big Pharma doesn't want the government doing research because they view a patent obtained from Gov't research as one stolen from them. Even in areas they aren't interested in. Like cures for cancer and antibiotics. Before that we had a new antibiotic about every 5 to 10 years. We need to restart gov't research or we'll never have cures again, only treatments. - Resident , somewhere in America, 20/6/2013 04:36 Click to rate Report abuse The pharmaceutical industry doesn't care about curing people, if they did, they would have done this years ago. - benfromNZ , invercargill, New Zealand, 20/6/2013 04:05 Click to rate Report abuse Ancient news....well done DM for another 'filler' of a article. - Anon_Wales , Wales, United Kingdom, 20/6/2013 03:39 Click to rate Report abuse But it can;t be patented so the drug companies can't make big profits from it so why its not being used today. Maybe with a bit of sliver LESS antibiotic would be need, we can't allow that to happen the drug company profits would go down,. - Skylor , USA, 20/6/2013 03:33 Click to rate Report abuse Silver may have been used for centuries but it is no way near an effective antibiotic (or not on its own, as this study could suggest). The discovery of penicillin is probably the greatest achievement in modern medicine. It has saved tens of millions of lives - lives that silver would not have. Rating 6 Rating 4 Rating 9 Rating 8 Rating 2 Rating (0)

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Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: ...

- John S , Bromley, United Kingdom, 20/6/2013 01:19 Click to rate Report abuse Rating 3

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Hippocrates used silver for treating wounds about 2,500 years ago. - Inselmann, South London, 19/6/2013 19:24------------ I wouldn't recommend his cure for hair loss though - a mixture of horseradish, beetroot, spices, opium and pigeon droppings, applied liberally to the scalp! - John S , Bromley, United Kingdom, 20/6/2013 01:09 Click to rate Report abuse If we go down the root of over using silver we will all start to turn blue, for we will become the blue bloods. Or maybe you like gold more, so you can be an immortal and green. :-). - Dredd , Hampshire, United Kingdom, 20/6/2013 00:59 Click to rate Report abuse If we go down the root of over using silver we will all start to turn blue, for we will become the blue bloods. Or maybe you like gold more, so you can be an immortal and green. :-). - Dredd , Hampshire, United Kingdom, 20/6/2013 00:56 Click to rate Report abuse Share this comment The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Today's headlines Most Read Back at school, cancer girl, 7, who had 'weeks to live': 'miracle' recovery after mother donated part of liver in pioneering operation Losing weight not only makes you healthier, it can also boost your MEMORY Adults today are self-obsessed and more stressed than those who lived through the Blitz, claims psychologist Supermarket bread contains 20% LESS salt than a decade ago - but further reductions are needed to cut heart attacks Exposed, the bosses in hospital deaths cover-up: Two women hid baby-deaths evidence What's YOUR risk of impotence? As our new calculator reveals, lifestyle can raise a man's chances of bedroom woes by 85% Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: Adding it to antibiotics boosts the effectiveness by 1,000 times What you ate when you were THREE determines your risk of heart disease later in life Losing your teeth can damage your memory: Those with fewer gnashers are less able to call past experiences Couple who suffered SEVEN miscarriages and stillbirths over 10 years finally take home their 'miracle baby' Red labels to warn of unhealthy food: Logos to appear on items considered 'bad' for health in anti-obesity drive Surrogate-born children are more likely to suffer depression than those carried by their real mother MORE HEADLINES Couple who suffered SEVEN miscarriages and stillbirths over 10 years finally take home their 'miracle baby' What you ate when you were THREE determines your risk of heart disease later in life Silver really COULD be the new weapon against superbugs: Adding it to antibiotics boosts the effectiveness by 1,000 times What's YOUR risk of impotence? As our new calculator reveals, lifestyle can raise a man's chances of bedroom woes by 85% Back at school, cancer girl, 7, who had 'weeks to live': 'miracle' recovery after mother donated part of liver in pioneering operation Babies given antibiotics before they're one 'are more prone to eczema': Drugs increase risk by 40% Rating 1 Rating 6 Rating 7

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A child's IQ can be determined 'by how much weight it gains in its first month of life' Losing your teeth can damage your memory: Those with fewer gnashers are less able to call past experiences Adults today are self-obsessed and more stressed than those who lived through the Blitz, claims psychologist Bride-to-be organised dream wedding in just 10 DAYS after her boyfriend was diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer Women who regularly use talcum powder increase their risk of ovarian cancer by 24% Surrogate-born children are more likely to suffer depression than those carried by their real mother MOST READ IN DETAIL

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