Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by gastrointestinal infections from C. diff every year in the US and around 20,000 die from the infections. A new drug is being developed to prevent the infection before it even takes hold.
Prevention is Better than Cure
The new preventive drug that is being developed comes from a compound found by researchers that staves off the infection caused by Clostridioides difficile (C. diff). This can make a huge difference when it comes to tackling gastrointestinal infections.
There are only two known drugs that have been approved to treat the infection, and the antibiotics are said to cause life-threatening diarrhea. With the preventive drug, people prone to gastrointestinal infections can take the drug preemptively and avoid suffering the effects.
A chemistry doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Jacqueline Phan stated that the infection costs the US healthcare system an astounding $3 billion to $4 billion yearly, as mentioned in Interesting Engineering.
Biochemistry professor Ernesto Abel-Santos mentioned that the new compounds they have developed provided multiday protection in just a single dose when it was tested out with mice. He added that the compounds come from the liver and are released slowly to the gut.
Abel-Santos thought about the germination process of spores after the anthrax attacks in 2001. He realized that targeting the process may be a way to prevent infectious diseases like C. diff. They started by studying compounds that might inhibit the spread of the bacteria.
Reports say that the aniline-substituted bile salt analog CaPA was found to be the most effective compound for the circumstances. The only issue with it is that it couldn't survive in the gut long enough to be used for preventive purposes.
This led to the researchers creating a new generation of compounds the same as CaPA that's more stable. Abel-Santos expressed that it has not been studied before and that it was possible to use the patient's own liver as a part of the treatment plan.
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C. Diff Infection
C. diff can be found in the gut and is usually harmless. However, the bacteria can quickly cause an infection when the person takes antibiotics, as they change the balance of bacteria within their bowels. The infection is also contagious when the infected do not maintain proper hygiene.
The common symptoms of a C. diff infection usually include diarrhea, high body temperature, loss of appetite, nausea, and a stomach ache. It can even cause long-term gut problems or sepsis when left untreated.
People over 65 years old are more at risk of infection compared to those who are younger in age. The same goes for people with weakened immune systems, which can be caused by having medical conditions like diabetes or kidney failure, or undergoing treatment like chemo.
A history of contracting a C. diff infection is also a contributing factor, along with recently or currently taking antibiotics for other infections. According to NHS, taking medicine that reduces stomach acid can also start the infection.
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