Many of you already know that a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori is the cause of most ulcers. No longer can stress or spicy foods be blamed for most of the ulcers people get. There are antibiotics that are given to patients with ulcers and, in 95 per cent of the cases, the patients are cured of their ulcer. Unfortunately, the treatment does not always cure patients with ulcers and eventually Helicobacter pylori will become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat this infection.
There is a better way! VACCINES! Researchers have reported (ABCNews article and Science article) finding the protein that allows Helicobacter pylori to stick onto the surface of the cells that line our stomachs. These scientists propose that if we can cause people to make antibodies to this bacterial attachment protein people might become immune to getting ulcers.
Not only could this stop a lot of pain and suffering but it could also stop many cases of stomach cancer. It has been shown that those people with ulcers are much more likely to also get stomach cancer. If their ulcers can be eliminated, their risk of getting stomach cancer goes down.
For more information, go to the following articles:
- Oh, That Pain In My Stomach :-( Stomach Ulcers and Helicobacter
- Oh That Pain In My Stomach: Part II :-( Your Ulcer May Be Cured
These articles also contain links to other great sites on this topic.
Take Care and Think Microbiologically!
Go To Page: 1
