Infection is a common concern among the general population, contributing to millions of deaths on a yearly basis. This type of condition can affect various parts of the body, and there are different pathogens that can lead to the development of an infection. The World Health Organization1 estimated that at least 7% of patients in a hospitalized environment would obtain an infection. These are health care-associated infections. Millions of people are also affected by infections outside a hospitalized environment each year.
While antibiotics are often prescribed for the treatment of an infection, this type of drug is only effective when the condition is caused by bacterial pathogenic microorganisms. Studies now suggest that a deficiency in autophagy in the body may contribute to a higher risk of infections, leading to the potential conclusion that inducing and improving the efficacy of the process might be a way to reduce the prevalence of infection.......
There are about five different types of pathogenic microbes that can cause infection in the body. Some of these are more prevalent than others, however.
The two most common types of microbes that cause infection include:
● Bacteria
● Viruses
Apart from these, it is possible also to become infected with parasites and fungi, as well as microorganisms that are known as protozoa. Protozoa are the microbes that are behind diseases like dysentery and malaria......
Studies have been able to provide evidence that autophagy seems to play a role in infection. To be more specific, it has been found that the cellular pathway of autophagy seems to have a large connection to the development of disease in the human body - and when this process is dysfunctional, it makes the presence of a pathogenic infection more likely to occur.
One particularly important factor that we need to consider here is the fact that autophagy might have a beneficial role to play in infections that are caused by viruses. Conventional medicine only treats the symptoms caused by viral infections in the majority of cases.
One study describes that the specific mechanisms are still to be studied and whether or not the activation of autophagy during a viral infection is beneficial or not should be established. At the moment, however, the study did find a beneficial associated between.....
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References:
1 Healthcare-associated infections: FACT SHEET. World Health Organization.
2 M. Drexler. What You Need to Know About Infectious Disease. Institute of Medicine. 2010.
3 N. Mizushima, B. Levine, A.M. Cuervo, D.J. Klionsky. Autophagy fights disease through cellular self-digestion. HHS Public Access. 18 Apr 2009.
4 L. Echavarria-COnsuegra, J.M. Smit, F. Reggiori. Role of autophagy during the replication and pathogenesis of common mosquito-borne flavi- and alphaviruses. Journal of Open Biology. 13 Mar 2019.
5 M. Desai, R. Fang, J. Sun. The role of autophagy in microbial infection and immunity. Dovepress ImmunoTargets and Therapy. 6 Jan 2015.
CAVEAT: This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. LeGrand and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. LeGrand nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
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