#10 Antibiotic resistance: crisis or opportunity?

I spoke with Stephan Steyn about antibiotic resistance. Stephan is a qualified pharmacist with a PhD in pharmacological neuroscience. Stephan is a senior lecturer in Pharmacology at North-West University, Potchefstroom. His research interests include the lasting effects of early-life, central-acting treatment strategies and the role that mitochondrial function plays in these effects. Being a karateka for more than two decades, Stephan has incorporated the discipline of karate into his professional life, making him critical of his own performance, always willing to learn from others, broaden his knowledge and improve his skillset. Context for this episode: Antibiotics are a core tool of modern medicine. However, the emergence of antibiotic resistance is a growing concern. According to the World Health Organisation, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development. A growing number of infections are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used in treatments become less effective. This resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality. Further background: Ted Talk: Maryn McKenna: What do we do when antibiotics don’t work anymore? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3oDpCb7VqI&feature=youtu.be Trafton, A., (2020). Artificial intelligence yields new antibiotic - A deep-learning model identifies a powerful new drug that can kill many species of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. MIT News Office: http://news.mit.edu/2020/artificial-intelligence-identifies-new-antibiotic-0220 Yeh, Y. C., Huang, T. H., Yang, S. C., Chen, C. C., & Fang, J. Y. (2020). Nano-Based Drug Delivery or Targeting to Eradicate Bacteria for Infection Mitigation: A Review of Recent Advances. Frontiers in Chemistry, 8, 286. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2020.00286 The South African Antibiotic Stewardship Programme: https://www.fidssa.co.za/SAASP   Disclaimer: Please note that this discussion is for information purposes only and it does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor for any medical advice you may need.