Alternatives to Antibiotics

There has been a large development of bacterial disease treatment strategies other than antibiotics due to the increase in resistant bacterial strains. Resistance modifying agents are being used to inhibit bacterial resistance mechanisms such as drug efflux from the cell. An efflux inhibitor will not allow the bacteria strains to take antibiotics out of the cell. Phage therapy is also being looked at to treat bacterial infections with viruses (phages). Phage therapy is used broadly in the countries of Russia and Georgia. Bacteria can also become resistant to viruses, but it is much easier to obtain new phage for new strains of resistant bacteria than new antibiotics (1). Bacteriocins are proteinaceous toxins produced by bacteria to inhibit the growth of similar or closely related bacterial strains (2). They were first discovered in 1925 by A. Gratia while he was searching for ways to kill bacteria, which later resulted in the development of antibiotics. Chelation therapy is a type of treatment used by injecting EDTA into the bloodstream to remove metals from the body (3). This limits nutrients that bacteria can use for growth, which will restrict pathogen spread (Example: Iron). The use of probiotics can be used to treat digestive bacterial infections by inhibiting and interfering bacterial strains. Probiotics are used to maintain the natural balance of organisms in the intestines (4). Silver can also be used to disrupt bacterial cellular processes by binding to sulfur compounds, such as disulfide bond formation (5). Silver is not toxic in the body in microscopic amounts, but it is toxic in large doses. With the growing amount of antibiotic resistant bacteria, these treatment strategies may become more prevalent in the future of antibiotic usage.

References:
1. Krylov, Victor. "Genetic Approach to the Development of New Therapeutic Phages to Fight Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in Wound Infections." Academic Search Complete. N.p., Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
2. Joerger. "Alternatives to Antibiotics: Bacteriocins, Antimicrobial Peptides and Bacteriophages." NCBI. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
3. "Chelation Therapy." Web MD. N.p., June 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
4. "Probiotics and Antibiotics." IFFGD. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
5. Cossins, Dan. "Silver Boosts Antibiotic Efficacy." The Scientist. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.