...I would like to see more details about the referenced study on silver
resistant bacteria.
The only study that I'm aware of was a study done on silver resistant
microbes in silver-rich soil. The researchers found that once the
bacteria were removed from the silver-rich environment, the resistance
quickly reversed (within a few generations). If I remember correctly,
the reason was: Resistance to silver came at a very high metabolic price
for the bacteria.
~Jason
On 3/31/2017 6:06 PM, Bill Kingsbury wrote:
from: -
https://www.healthcanal.com/infections/236554-rampant-use-antibacterial-nanosilver-resistance-risk.html
Rampant use of antibacterial nanosilver is a resistance risk
7:05 March 31, 2017
In summary:
.. Silver nanoparticles are becoming ubiquitous in medical and consumer
items because of their antibacterial potency in small concentrations and,
partly, incorrect perceptions about their safety
.. A more judicious approach and targeted surveillance are urgently needed
to preserve nanosilver's antimicrobial reliability
Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney warn that the broad-spectrum
antimicrobial effectiveness of silver is being put at risk by the widespread
and inappropriate expansion of nanosilver use in medical and consumer goods.
As well as their use in medical items such as wound dressings and catheters, silver
nanoparticles are becoming ubiquitous in everyday items, including toothbrushes and
toothpaste, baby bottles and teats, bedding, clothing and household appliances, because
of their antibacterial potency and the incorrect assumption that ordinary items should be
kept "clean" of microbes.
Nanobiologist Dr Cindy Gunawan, from the ithree institute at UTS and lead researcher on
the investigation, said alarm bells should be ringing at the commercialisation of
nanosilver use because of a "real threat" that resistance to nanosilver will
develop and spread through microorganisms in the human body and the environment.
Dr Gunawan and ithree institute director Professor Liz Harry, in collaboration
with researchers at UNSW and abroad, investigated more than 140 commercially
available medical devices, including wound dressings and tracheal and urinary
catheters, and dietary supplements, which are promoted as immunity boosters and
consumed by throat or nasal spray.
Their perspective article in the journal ACS Nano concluded that the use of
nanosilver in these items could lead to prolonged exposure to bioactive silver
in the human body. Such exposure creates the conditions for microbial
resistance to develop.
The use of silver as an antimicrobial agent dates back centuries. Its ability to destroy
pathogens while seemingly having low toxicity on human cells has seen it widely employed,
in treating burns or purifying water, for example. More recently, ultra-small (less than
10,000th of a millimetre) silver nanoparticles have been engineered for antimicrobial
purposes. Their commercial appeal lies in superior potency at lower concentrations than
"bulk" silver.
"Nanosilver is a proven antimicrobial agent whose reliability is being jeopardised
by the commercialisation of people's fear of bacteria," Dr Gunawan said.
"Our use of it needs to be far more judicious, in the same way we need to
approach antibiotic usage. Nanosilver is a useful tool but we need to be careful,
use it wisely and only when the benefit outweighs the risk.
"People need to be made aware of just how widely it is used, but more importantly
they need to be made aware that the presence of nanosilver has been shown to cause
antimicrobial resistance."
What is also needed, Dr Gunawan said, is a targeted surveillance strategy to
monitor for any occurrence of resistance.
Professor Harry said the findings were a significant contribution to addressing
the global antimicrobial resistance crisis.
"This research emphasises the threat posed to our health and that of the environment
by the inappropriate use of nanosilver as an antibacterial, particularly in ordinary
household and consumer items," she said.
The article Widespread and Indiscriminate Nanosilver Use: Genuine Potential for
Microbial Resistance is published in the journal ACS Nano.
( http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsnano.7b01166 )
UTS
(c) 2016 HEALTHCANAL - Medical News. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.healthcanal.com/
..
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