Dr. Avnish Jolly, Chandigarh:The discovery of an inexpensive compound could virtually sound the death knell of diarrhoea, which kills up to 2.5 million children annually in the developing Countries. Team from Texas University that made the discovery described it as a ‘Magic Bullet’ that would not only save lives of millions in the developing world, but would also save billions of dollars that are lost every year. The compound can be placed in a pill for adults and in a liquid for children.
Major share of these fatalities is being accounted by Entero Toxigenic E coli (ETEC) strains, according to an article in Clinical Microbiology Reviews. The compound targets acute and virtually untreatable diarrhoea caused by ETEC and other bacteria strains. They produce toxins that stimulate intestinal linings to secrete excessive fluid, said Stanley G. Schultz, member of the Texas team. During pre-clinical tests, the compound was associated with a significant reduction in intestinal fluid secretion in an animal model of bacterial diarrhoea.
It was also linked to reduced fluid build up during laboratory tests on human colon cells and caused significant decrease in fluid secretion without apparent toxicity. Latest unique approach to the treatment of ETEC diarrhoea works by interrupting the diarrhoea-causing chain of events that occur when bacterial toxins enter the intestinal tract. The compound slows the transmission of information in the epithelial cells lining the intestines. Consequently, molecular mediators regulating the secretion of salt and fluid in the gut do not get fully activated.
Ferid Murad, one of the researcher shared that while this research looks extremely promising as a preventive or therapeutic intervention in Third World diarrhoeal disease and travellers’ diarrhoea, much work remains to be done to move into clinical trials and eventual therapeutic approval and in the event of an earthquake, typhoon or other catastrophe, this potential diarrhoea treatment could be used to treat ETEC outbreaks caused by contaminated food and water supplies.
The findings of pre-clinical tests appeared in an online edition of the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The discovery results may be very fine and important … but until and unless the complete pharmacological detail regarding the compound, being called as “Magic Bullets”, used is made available , it not possible to comment on it.
The discovery results may be very fine and important … but until and unless the complete detail regarding the compound used is made available , it not possible to comment on it.