World experts gather to plot strategy in war against superbugs

The world’s top infectious disease researchers are in California this week, mapping out their next moves in the battle against antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

The researchers have gathered for the Keystone Symposium, an important international conference for those searching for the next generation of medical treatments.

The conference is chaired by McMaster’s Eric Brown, Canada Research Chair in Microbial Chemical Biology.

McMaster’s Gerry Wright, director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, and Lori Burrows, a professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences are featured speakers at the conference.

Antimicrobial resistance has quickly become a public health crisis in Canada and around the world.

On March 31, the Government of Canada unveiled a new action plan that includes steps to address the problem as well as funding for a study on antimicrobial resistance’s impact on the economy.

“Without antibiotics, we don’t have modern medicine,” said Wright, via Skype from the Symposium. “The problem is really serious, it’s here right now and it has to be solved.”

Resistance develops when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change so that medicines like antibiotics, used to treat germs, become less effective – or don’t work at all.

The problem does occur naturally, but the rate of resistance is rapidly rising due to the overuse and misuse of many medicines.

The issue is compounded by the fact that fewer drugs are being discovered each year.

According to Wright, the US Food and Drug Administration approved approximately 15 new antibiotic drugs between 1985 and 1990. Only two new drugs were approved between 2005 and 2008.

Eric Brown on why research on antimicrobial resistance is so important:

Gerry Wright on why we should worry about antibiotic resistance:

Lori Burrows on how McMaster is leading the world in drug discovery and AMR research: