Antibiotics have been proven to impair our ability to fight the flu. Although we generally consider these drugs to be helpful, studies from Yale have proven that they impair our immune system's ability to fight infections. The antibiotics accidentally kill friendly bacteria, known as commensal bacteria, which keep the immune system alert for viral invaders. Although scientists knew this bacteria was beneficial, they did not know how significant it was. Surprisingly, killing bacteria in the colon could effect the way that the lungs fight off infections. Akiko Iwasaki, a Yale immunologist, and her colleagues discovered this when testing on mice. They treated mice with common antibiotics given for bacterial infections, and then continued to infect the mice with the flu. In the wake of taking antibiotics, the mice were unable to produce a flu-fighting molecule known as interleukin-1 beta, which is essential to combat influenza and other viruses. This is extremely scary, because antibiotics are essential in the field of medicine. The inability to produce interleukin-1 beta could lead to a future epidemic, because people would not be able to fight of the virus. This study will probably make doctors think twice prior to prescribing antibiotics to their patients. However, there is a positive side to this research. When researchers discover what bacteria help us, they can create new antibiotics that do not kill them. In addition, they could use these bacteria to create probiotics, which would help our immune system greatly and uplift our virus-fighting capabilities.
Resources:
Saey, Tina Hesman. " Antibiotics May Make Fighting Flu Harder."
US News. US
News, 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 7 Apr. 2011. <http://www.usnews.com/science/
articles/2011/03/15/antibiotics-may-make-fighting-flu-harder>.
Picture: http://www.antibioticsandalcohol.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/antibiotics-and-alcohol-drugs.jpg
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