The MCR-1 Apocalypse Superbug

You've likely heard about superbugs - bacteria that is resistant to antibiotic drugs. The latest of these is known as MCR-1. Diseases that used to be (and currently... are) treatable could become deadly due to the MCR-1 gene. Why am I blogging about this? FoxNews.com released an article today; an urgent call to cut antibiotic use in livestock that prompted my interest in world wild calamities (... I watch the Walking Dead, so obviously I find this interesting) .

Researchers were looking for the first plasmid-mediated polymyxin resistance mechanism (aka MCR-1) through 3000 E. Coli samples.. and they found it... in both people and food.

Technically not a bug itself, but a gene that makes bacteria invulnerable to antibiotics, such as colistin (one of the last-resort antibiotics for multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter - Wikipedia), which is also used to fight bugs like E. Coli.

"When an E coli strain, SHP45, possessing colistin resistance that could be transferred to another strain, was isolated from a pig, we conducted further analysis of possible plasmid-mediated polymyxin resistance" -  The Lancet Article

How does it spread? 

It's been found in mobile DNA (aka plasmids). "A plasmid is a small DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from a chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently." This makes it easier to spread than typical, actually it can spread fast which is why this is so alarming. You now have a fast spreading invulnerable superbug.

Interpretation of the Lancet Article: "The emergence of MCR-1 heralds the breach of the last group of antibiotics, polymyxins, by plasmid-mediated resistance. Although currently confined to China, MCR-1 is likely to emulate other global resistance mechanisms such as NDM-1. Our findings emphasise the urgent need for coordinated global action in the fight against pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria." - The Lancet Article

Where is it?

According to news.com.au, it's feared that this "untreatable superbug is now firmly embedded in Europe" as samples of food between 2012 and 2014 were found to contain bacteria with the MCR-1 gene in Denmark. They also mention that early last month there was a Chinese outbreak among people and pigs with a bacteria containing MCR-1.

"The scientists discovered the MCR-1 mutation in 16 E. Coli and K. Pneumoniae samples from 1,322 hospitalized patients." And from E. Coli samples taken from both animals an raw meat in china, "On average, more than 20 percent of bacteria in the animal samples and 15 percent of the raw meat samples had the gene." (source: dw.com)

"If MCR-1 becomes global, which is a case of when not if, and the gene aligns itself with other antibiotic resistance genes, which is inevitable, then we will have very likely reached the start of the post-antibiotic era."  

"At that point if a patient is seriously ill, say with E. Coli, then there is virtually nothing you can do." - Professor Timothy Walsh of the University of Cardiff - study collaborator (source: dw.com)

Antibiotics in Livestock

Today, its being urged that antibiotics in farming to be reduced. In the review, Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill, noted that more than 70% of medically imported antibiotics, in the USA, were used in livestock than in people! These antibiotics that are being pumped into our livestock are promoting the creation/development of superbugs. And now we have a superbug that is impervious to our known antibiotics.

What can you do?

For starters, E. Coli prevention, wash your utensils, use hot soapy water. Clean anything that comes into contact with raw meat; your counter tops, cutting boards, everything. Keep raw foods away from your other foods and use a different cutting board for your raw meat. Basically, avoid cross-contamination. Also, cook vegetables and meat to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (core temp) for at least 15 seconds. You should be already be following these basic guidelines... if not, start.

Let's hope our scientific community can find a way to mitigate or stop this, at least before scientists discover the next gene that makes bacteria invulnerable ("MCR-2").

Additional Reading:

• Your DNA, Genes, and Nutrition

Resources:

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/bacteria-containing-mcr1-gene-resistant-to-all-known-antibiotics-found-in-denmark/news-story/1f48056ecd4ffad01acbb5eb4af914f4
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099%2815%2900424-7/abstract
http://www.dw.com/en/scientists-discover-new-antibiotic-resistant-gene-mcr-1-in-china/a-18861469

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/12/08/british-review-calls-for-urgent-cuts-to-antibiotic-use-in-livestock.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmid

Your DNA, Genes, and Nutrition

How does your DNA, your Genes, and Nutrition relate to each other? The Human Genome Project set out to map out DNA in 1990, to determine the sequences in the 3-billion chemical base pairs you find in DNA. It was declared complete in 2003. You've probably read that "DNA has been cracked" someplace or heard about it. Despite this incredible accomplishment, your genome couldn't tell you your eye color. So, what determines your eye color, your body composition, if not your DNA? The Epigenome.

"The epigenome is involved in regulating gene expression, development, tissue differentiation, and suppression of transposable elements." In simple terms, it tells the genes instructions for what to do, how to do it, and where to do it. Think about a software program. Software directs the hardware of a computer, tells it instructions in order to accomplish a task. The epigenome is the software. It directs your genes and tells it what, how, and where to do it! It determines how the genes are expressed and what the cell becomes (i.e. a lung, liver, hair, heart, skin, muscle, brain cell, etc).

As I discussed in my previous post, DNA is the blueprint for your body. Your cell membrane and its organelles read this blueprint. They implement certain parts based on what comes in contact with them. Your genes are a single chapter, one of many, in your DNA book, containing instructions on making proteins and cell production assistance.

Take a look at identical twins who have identical DNA. Why then does one twin have different diseases, or age differently, have different issues than the other? Shouldn't they be identical? Researchers keep coming back and concluding that the environment is the contributor (e.g. outside modifications). The environment is the cause of degenerative diseases, aging, even auto-immune diseases like lupus that you see between identical twins. 

Do you know what science is related to how food, what you inhale, what you drink, touch, breath, feel, even what you believe and perceive affects your body? What do scientists call this environmental factor? Epigenetics. It's how your gene activity is selected (switched on and off), modified, and regulated by environmental signals. Your unique environment and food choices all affect the activity of your genes. Your environment is constantly changing and therefore, so is your gene activity!

With nutrition and diet, good or bad, it switches those genes on and off. Diet can be studied far easier than stress or behavior, therefore if can be better understood. For example, BPA (used to make plastic) was in water bottles, tin cans, and even in your food-storage plastic containers. A study on mice showed that BPA given during pregnancy resulted in their pups to be yellow and obese, instead of the normal brown and standard weight. But when given the proper nutrients with BPA, the nutrients counteracted the effects of the BPA (see the Utah reference below for more).
  
What does this tell us? Proper nutrition can either help you, prevent diseases, manage weight loss, or it can harm you, cause obesity and diseases.

" Of the 2.4 million deaths that occur in the United States each year, 75% are the result of avoidable nutritional factor diseases."

– Dr. C Everett Koop, Former US General Surgeon General

So what should you do? What vitamins, essential amino acids, and foods, should you eat? In theory, you can get all of your nutrition from food. It's not easy, but it can be accomplished. In our busy lives, trying to research, find what foods have the most nutritional impact, what carbs, protein, fat is the best, is a very time consuming process.

What if there was an an online assessment that considers your allergies, dietary habits, lifestyle habits, medical conditions, prescriptions, and goals? What if you could run your profile through a database with over 7,000 published findings, 4,000 algorithms to provide you a detailed summary, that's been proven and backed with scientific research? Science that can be weighed and measured, that can be studied. Would you take it? Because it exists, and it's something I have not seen in the health and wellness industry before.

>> Click here to take your free assessment. <<

It's customized for you. Nothing is artificial or synthetic. New studies are looked at every week. They are all in class A facilities, it's all very high tech, and follows FDA regulations. It's about the science, ingredients, ingredient levels, the time of the day given, and dozens of other steps to determine the best nutrition for you. Take charge of your nutrition and your genes.

I'll be posting more articles on health and wellness as I learn more about nutrition and how our unique environmental factors affect our health. If you found this helpful please like our facebook page or sign-up to receive blog updates on the sidebar menu.

References:

1. ETH Zurich. "Epigenetics: DNA Isn’t Everything." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 April 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090412081315.htm>.
2. Chris Wood. "Forget the Genome: The Epigenome Is Where It’s At" Casey Research. 13 February 2013. <www.caseyresearch.com/articles/forget-the-genome-the-epigenome-is-where-its-at>
3. "Difference Between DNA and Genes" DifferenceBetween.net <www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-dna-and-genes>
4.  "Genomes of identical twins reveal epigenetic changes that may play role in lupus" Genome Research. 22 December 2009. <genome.cshlp.org/site/press/gr100289.xhtml>
5.  "Nutrition and the Epigenome" University of Utah Health Sciences. Learn Genetics. 2015. <learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/nutrition>
6. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/epigenetic-mice.html

DNA, Amino Acids, and Proteins

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is basically a bunch of items stuck together that forms a fairly large and long ladder, albeit a bit curvy. It's the blueprint for every living thing. Every cell in your body has an exact duplicate copy of your DNA. It's like a long string curled up inside of a cell's nucleus.

Amino Acids are important tiny chemicals that are the buildings blocks of life.  Think of a lego blueprint, the legos can be attached together to form something, like a car. Amino acids are similar to legos in that they can attach to each other to form proteins. There are about 21 different types of Amino Acids (9 you can't make and are called essential amino acids). You can find them in a cell's cytoplasm (that gel-like stuff around the nucleus).

Human Cells

So how does DNA work with Amino Acids? DNA tells amino acids how to line up correctly to form protein shapes. There are literally millions of kinds of proteins but they have to be just the right shape to work. A special enzyme in the nucleus creates a partial copy of DNA, called RNA. RNA are shorter pieces of DNA and are missing one side of the ladder, single-stranded molecule (think of cutting a ladder down the middle). They are extremely small, and usually folded onto itself, and slip out through the cell's nucleus walls and make their way into the cytoplasm. Once there, they can fit into a particle called a Ribosome.

CAG = Glutamine

Ribosome are the heavy lifters that build proteins. Think of a conveyor belt in a factory that passes under a machine (or better yet, think of a Turing Machine). A piece of the DNA string, RNA, is on that conveyor belt. As it passes through the machine (the Ribosome particle), it reads the RNA 3-letters at a time. Those 3-letters represent an amino acid, one of the 21, that it pulls out from it's surroundings to form the next link what will be eventually the perfect protein. For example, the letters CAG form Glutamine (also CAA is another codon). You can find it in a lot of health related supplements, especially in the workout arena. Now the protein can go on to do other work, such as building a new cell!

In Summary: All of these biological properties are the building blocks of LIFE!

Keep tuned on how nutrition and your DNA affects your body.

If you want to get a jump start on your nutrition, that's personalized to your needs, check out IDLife Nutrition.

References: See linkages in above text (mostly wikipedia).