Research: Body Produces Own Antiobiotics
Our bodies are pretty amazing, with many disease-fighting protections already built in. Consider this article from Healthday News. Diana Kohnle reports new research shows our bodies produce an antibiotic to fight urinary tract infection:
Although it was once thought that urine passing through the urinary tract prevented bacteria from accumulating in its membranes, researchers at the Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm have proven differently. Instead, they found that the body produces an antibacterial peptide, called LL-37, that helps prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs).
"Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a growing problem," research leader and professor Annelie Brauner said in a prepared statement. "As the development of resistance to the body's own antibiotic is very rare, it can be used as an alternative or a complement to conventional antibiotic medication."During the study, urine from healthy children and those with UTIs was tested for levels of LL-37. Results showed very low levels of LL-37 in the urine of healthy children, but high levels in the urine of children with UTIs.
"We were able to show that LL-37 is produced in the epithelial cells of the urinary tracts and the kidneys, and that its build-up and secretion occur within a few minutes after a bacterial attack," said Brauner.
For more on antibiotics, see the previous post.
