Do you know what infects 2 million Americans every year?
Candida albicans.
Although I bet, you weren't thinking about it.
The worst part is that out of all those 2 million people, over 23,000 die because of candida albicans.
What was once an easy-to-treat infection has now turned into a life-threatening disease.
You see, antibiotics cannot kill candida albicans because it is an antibiotic-resistant fungus.
And candida albicans is not the only drug-resistant threat that we are facing today.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has warned that the current antibiotic resistance threat is serious and urgent.
In fact, some researchers claim that we may return to a “pre-antibiotic era in which minor infections can once again become deadly.”
Are there solutions to the new antibiotic resistance threat?
Although there is no official solution presented to the public, researchers believe they've made a huge breakthrough!
They found that by using a drug for blood disorders (which can lower iron levels) starves Candida albicans.
This happens because Candida albicans is feeding on iron.
Yes, the primary power source of Candida is iron.
Without it, Candida simply shuts down.
In the research, scientists did just that, they administered deferasirox (a drug that treats blood disorders) to mice with Candida albicans.
By comparing the group that received the drug and the one that didn't, the results were shocking: the experiment worked!
The iron-lowering drug affected the Candida so much that it destroyed it in a proportion of 88%.
This finding is significant since it's the first one that actively stopped the spreading of infection.
Plus, the treatment with deferasirox, the iron-lowering drug, did not cause iron deficiency in the mice.
Who knows, perhaps one day this might be the alternative measure to treating Candida albicans.
What are your thoughts on this incredible finding?
Do you agree with the researcher's vision of repurposing drugs to treat diseases?
I can't wait to read your opinions on this, and until next time, please don't hesitate to ask me your questions.
