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Latest Infectious Disease News<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, July 10, 2020<\/p>\n
A nontoxic antiseptic developed in the former Soviet Union may be a valuable weapon for fighting common infections, British researchers say.<\/p>\n
The drug, miramistin, was developed for the Soviet Space Program. While little known in the West, it blocks or kills flu<\/a>, human papillomaviruses<\/a> (HPV<\/a>), coronaviruses, adenoviruses<\/a> and HIV<\/a>, according to University of Manchester scientists.<\/p>\n Miramistin is less toxic to human cells than the usual antiseptics, such as cetylpyridinium chloride. It’s also 88% to 93% biodegradable, they noted.<\/p>\n “Conventional antiseptics contaminate the environment because they are toxic to microbiota, fish, algae and plants,” said researcher David Denning, a professor at the university.<\/p>\n “These are widely available but problematic whereas miramistin has no genotoxic effects after it has been broken down,” he said in a university news release.<\/p>\n Miramistin is used against Candida and Aspergillus species and bacteria, including Staphylococcus<\/a><\/i>, Proteus<\/i>, Klebsiella<\/i>, and the germs that cause venereal diseases, the researchers noted.<\/p>\n And miramistin is still used by doctors in some of the former Soviet Bloc countries to treat wounds and ulcers.<\/p>\n “Miramistin has been overlooked in the West and may have practical and environmental advantages,” said researcher Ali Osmanov, who is studying fungal disease at Manchester.<\/p>\n “Today, antiseptics act as a ‘last frontier’ against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and viruses<\/a>, and also have an important role in infection control. Unfortunately, currently used antiseptics have some flaws,” Osmanov noted in the release.<\/p>\n “For example, bleach can exacerbate asthma<\/a>, and many of the older antiseptics are not active against coronaviruses. We hope our paper will stimulate modern studies to evaluate miramistin’s potential,” Osmanov said.<\/p>\n
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