VOA标准英语2011--Antibiotic Alternative Treats Urinary Infection in Mice

Antibiotic¹ Alternative Treats Urinary Infection in Mice

 

Researchers have a new approach for treating urinary tract² infections, a painful condition which can often be treated successfully with antibiotics³. But many times, the infection is caused by strains of bacteria that are resistant⁴ to the drugs.

This new approach may bypass the resistance issue, according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine.

When a urinary tract infection begins, the bacteria attaches, or binds⁶, to the bladder. It does this by clinging to molecular⁷ receptors on a sugar called mannose, found normally on the inner surface of the bladder.

James Janetka of Washington University in Saint Louis and his team devised chemicals called mannosides that mimic⁸ the mannose and act as a kind of decoy for the bacteria. The idea is that if the bacteria attach to the mannoside, they won't be able to attach to the mannose on the bladder.

"Most antibiotics kill the bacteria," Janetka says. "That's what we call cytotoxics. In our case, our compounds are not cytotoxic. Our compounds actually block this binding⁹ of the bacteria to the bladder cells, so that the body's own immune system can clear the bacteria normally."

A mannoside drug proved more effective than antibiotics in mice with urinary tract infections, according to lead study author Corinne Cusumano.

To test the concept, laboratory mice with urinary tract infections were given a mannoside drug, called "compound 6." Lead author Corinne Cusumano says that in the mice, the mannoside was more effective than antibiotics.

"And six hours after we fed them the mannoside, we looked at the number of bacteria in their bladders," she says. "And we saw that there was a significant reduction in the amount of bacteria in the bladder. And most noticeably, this is actually quicker than the traditional antibiotics."

As well as clearing infection, mannoside given in advance prevented infection, presumably because the bacteria couldn't bind⁵ to the bladder surface and infect the tissue.

Janetka says that because of the way they work, the mannoside compounds should not promote the development of resistance in the bacteria, and they should be effective against strains that are hard to treat with current drugs.

"And one of the very exciting things in the paper that we all are quite excited about is that the compounds even work against antibiotic-resistant bacteria."

Janetka says in a best case scenario¹⁰, clinical trials in humans could begin in a year or so.

He says the same principle - of interrupting the binding process - may also be effective against other kinds of infections.

"And so we can use the same exact technology that we've developed to design inhibitors, based on natural sugars again, that could be effective against many other types of bacteria. So this is just the beginning, in our mind."

1 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

2 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

3 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

4 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

5 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

6 binds   

v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕

参考例句：

• Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

8 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

9 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

10 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。