Live data from Hacker News

Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

wired.com

31–40 of 92 posts

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#31

"Researchers have developed", yeah. When I read such things, I always recall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimerox - this thing promised wonders - very broad spectrum, very low toxicity - and, most importantly, it was targeting a conservative essential protein - so nearly zero resistance. And there were no updates for more than a decade. Something developed in a lab is something we, most likely, will never see - and…

Similar thing, permanent anti-cavity bacteria:

https://www.cremieux.xyz/p/the-rise-and-impending-fall-of-th...

The patents expired, so nobody can raise the hundreds of millions to do the phase II/III safety trials.

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#32

I am addicted to hot peppers. What I do in the morning is get one Scotch Bonnet (or two smaller ones), two oranges, lime and a piece of ginger into a cold press and then drink it in one go. Can't describe it exactly, but it's like being transported to another dimension for a few seconds, then there is pain, then there is relief and then a nice warm feeling in the belly.

I don't generally love super spicy food (the most I do like 95% of the time is the Taco Bell Fire Sauce), but every now and than I want something really spicy.

I'm not sure why this is the case, but I'll go to a place with some Habanero sauce and get that on a meal. It will hurt (and my time in the bathroom the next day might be a little unpleasant), but it satisfies the urge.

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#33
post #31

"Researchers have developed", yeah. When I read such things, I always recall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimerox - this thing promised wonders - very broad spectrum, very low toxicity - and, most importantly, it was targeting a conservative essential protein - so nearly zero resistance. And there were no updates for more than a decade. Something developed in a lab is something we, most likely, will never see - and…

Similar thing, permanent anti-cavity bacteria: https://www.cremieux.xyz/p/the-rise-and-impending-fall-of-th... The patents expired, so nobody can raise the hundreds of millions to do the phase II/III safety trials.

It depends - if someone uses the same compound but provably for a different indication (like maybe anti-periodontic diseases or something) or for a different intake mechanism, they could get another patent and proceed with trials.

Granted, it's not going to be easy because the original patent has expired so it's going to be very easy for an upstart Indian company to conduct basic clinical trials, use part of the data of the second patent's holder to prove equivalency (they did this test so we don't need to do this test), and then get approved through an accelerated pathway in the FDA. Which is why even well-capitalized players will shy away from what could be a cash cow.

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#34
post #32

I am addicted to hot peppers. What I do in the morning is get one Scotch Bonnet (or two smaller ones), two oranges, lime and a piece of ginger into a cold press and then drink it in one go. Can't describe it exactly, but it's like being transported to another dimension for a few seconds, then there is pain, then there is relief and then a nice warm feeling in the belly.

I don't generally love super spicy food (the most I do like 95% of the time is the Taco Bell Fire Sauce), but every now and than I want something really spicy. I'm not sure why this is the case, but I'll go to a place with some Habanero sauce and get that on a meal. It will hurt (and my time in the bathroom the next day might be a little unpleasant), but it satisfies the urge.

I know if my Mexican wife is angry depending on how hot is the food and the sauces that she makes. I have also learned that very hot sauces can damage your nails as you scratch the walls the next day.

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#35
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't generally love super spicy food (the most I do like 95% of the time is the Taco Bell Fire Sauce), but every now and than I want something really spicy. I'm not sure why this is the case, but I'll go to a place with some Habanero sauce and get that on a meal. It will hurt (and my time in the bathroom the next day might be a little unpleasant), but it satisfies the urge.

I know if my Mexican wife is angry depending on how hot is the food and the sauces that she makes. I have also learned that very hot sauces can damage your nails as you scratch the walls the next day.

Funnily enough, my wife is Mexican and I think I have a higher tolerance for spicy food than she does. She won't even do the Taco Bell Fire Sauce.

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#36

"Researchers have developed", yeah. When I read such things, I always recall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimerox - this thing promised wonders - very broad spectrum, very low toxicity - and, most importantly, it was targeting a conservative essential protein - so nearly zero resistance. And there were no updates for more than a decade. Something developed in a lab is something we, most likely, will never see - and…

Is this particular drug head and shoulders above other candidates? Is it possible that the reason it hasn't gotten attention is because researchers have been looking at other cheaper or more promising candidates? (I do not know, I am genuinely asking.)

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#37
I have struggled with various infections over the last 15 years. One of them, among the worst being h-pylori. Of all these infections, I've been forced, due to absence of healthcare and aversion to the medical industry in general, to treat myself across the board.

H Pylori is a very interesting subject, deeply misunderstood until a certain Australian hero brute forced through the arrogance of the day by infecting himself to prove ulcers weren't the product of psychosomatics.

Ending the rant there, I discovered through research that capsaicin (only one of the virtues of peppers) has a manifold effect upon various bacteria, notably pylori. Aside from encouraging the pylori to swim away from the capsaicin, it disrupts their biofilm behavior, and empirically, can drastically help with ulcers counter to expected problems with its spicy nature.

Adjacently, it can also encourage mucosal stimulation and protection.

I've found, co administered with mastic, oregano, NAC, and a few things presently inaccessible to the ol' cabbage.... Ahh, that's one... Cabbage juice! -- the infection can be reduced to sustainable levels without conventional antibiotics. Modern research is suggesting that h pylori, partly due to its ubiquity (50% of population +) and the ravages of antibiotics, it may be best to simply reduce it to manageable levels where the immune system and general well being keep it controlled.

There is also the wonder of fermented chilies which is good for many things, includes probiotics, improves most meals and really irritates assholes, which is righteous.

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#38
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know if my Mexican wife is angry depending on how hot is the food and the sauces that she makes. I have also learned that very hot sauces can damage your nails as you scratch the walls the next day.

Funnily enough, my wife is Mexican and I think I have a higher tolerance for spicy food than she does. She won't even do the Taco Bell Fire Sauce.

That is a bit suspicious. How accurate is she with the chancla at long range?

Re: Venom and hot peppers offer a key to killing resistant bacteria

#40

"Researchers have developed", yeah. When I read such things, I always recall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epimerox - this thing promised wonders - very broad spectrum, very low toxicity - and, most importantly, it was targeting a conservative essential protein - so nearly zero resistance. And there were no updates for more than a decade. Something developed in a lab is something we, most likely, will never see - and…

This story actually checks out, which is quite the condemnation of our American drug development system. One thing bugs me though - why don't other countries with different research structures pick this up and run with it?

> This story actually checks out, which is quite the condemnation of our American drug development system.

Oh yeah, "corporations", "end-stage capitalism", blah blah.

The reality is that 95+% of drug candidates fail the trials. And a lot of them only fail during the Phase-3 where the efficacy is tested. It's likely that large companies tried it in-house and found that it's either too toxic or is ineffective in-vivo.

Post reply on HN