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Ask an expert: How do antibiotics work?Question: What are some methods of treatment for a person who has a bacterial infection? How do antibiotics work?
Answer: Antibiotics are chemicals that kill bacteria but not human cells. They work by interfering with metabolic pathways that are unique to bacteria or different enough from humans that they are not toxic. They kill bacteria indiscriminately and thus will kill both pathogens and the normal flora. Antibiotics do not work against viruses, as they do not share the same pathways as bacteria. Although wonderful when they work, antibiotics have been extensively abused by society, and bacteria may have developed resistance against their mechanisms. Many diseases, which previously were easily treated with antibiotics, such as gonorrhea, are much more difficult to treat due to resistance. For example, the "superbugs" are bacteria that are resistant to all or nearly all antibiotics. Another effective method to prevent disease are vaccinations. We all get vaccinated in our childhood, and by preparing our body in advance, when an invading pathogen comes along, we are primed to destroy it. For example, the DPT vaccine immunizes us against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus. These are wonderful agents that can eliminate diseases such as smallpox. Dr. B. Brett Finlay, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute research scholar, received his undergraduate degree and doctorate in the mechanisms of bacterial conjugation from the University of Alberta, studying under the world-renown microbiologist Stan Falkow. He then moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and began his own laboratory, where he focuses on salmonella and E. coli bacteria. About his chosen profession, Finlay says, "It's an awesome life. You get to find things that no one else has seen before. I mean, what a concept, to live in a world where you don't know what's going to happen each day." Finlay has two lectures, "The Microbes Strike Back" and "Outwitting Bacteria's Wily Ways," available on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Web site (below). RELATED SITES: B. Brett Finlay's Laboratory | ||||
