C10 - Modern Treatment of Diseases Flashcards
What were magic bullets?
- they were chemical cures for diseases which killed a specific type of bacteria
- Ehrlich discovered the first magic bullet in 1909, which cured syphilis
- Domagk discovered Prontosil, a red chemical which worked against the germs that caused blood poisoning
- more magic bullets or ‘sulpha drugs’ were developed to control or cure meningitis, pneumonia and scarlet fever
How was the first antibiotic discovered?
By the 1920s, a highly-resistant Staphylococcus bacteria remained undefeated by any magic bullet. During WW1, Fleming had seen how soldiers were suffering from the Staphylococcus bacteria and he became determined to find a better way to treat infected wounds and conducted detailed experiments. In 1928, Fleming went on holiday and left several plates of Staphylococcus germs on a bench in his lab; when he came home, he noticed a large blob of mould in one of the dishes. Upon investigation, he realised that the Staphylococcus germs next to the mould had been killed. Fleming took a sample of this mould and found it to be penicillin mould. A spore from this mould, which had been grown in the room below Fleming’s, had floated up the stairs and into his laboratory
What did Fleming conclude about penicillin?
Fleming did not realise that penicillin was an antibiotic, so he concluded that it was a natural antiseptic. Fleming didn’t inject penicillin int Ian infected animal, which would have shown that it could be used to treat infections. As a result, few people regarded Fleming’s work as major and gradually even Fleming himself lost interest in it.
How was penicillin developed?
- in the 1930s, researchers at Oxford read about penicillin’s ability to kill germs
- scientists Florey and Chain successfully tested penicillin on eight mice
- they then tested it on a human and over a period of months, they produced enough penicillin to use on a patient with a bad infection
- when the patient was injected with penicillin, the infection began to clear up, however the patient died when the penicillin ran out.
How was penicillin mass-produced?
- WW2 was a major factor in transforming the supply of penicillin because a steady supply of it was needed to treat soldiers with infected wounds
- in June 1941, Florey met with the US government who agreed to pay several huge chemical companies to make billions of gallons of it.
- by the end of the war in 1945, Britain and the USA were working closely together and 250,000 soldiers were being treated. Drug companies began using their production methods to make penicillin for public use as soon as the war ended.
How did the pharmaceutical industry develop?
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, some of the larger companies we know today (GlaxoSmithKline, Beecham, Hoffman La-Roche and Pfizer) had been formed: they started out as chemists and pill-makers, or producers of chemicals used by scientists. The discovery of penicillin led to huge government-sponsored programmes to develop and produce it; this meant that the pharmaceutical industry has both the finance and the technology to research and develop medicines for all sorts of diseases. Today, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest in the world, worth an estimated £200 billion to £300 billion and employing nearly 80,000 people in the UK alone.
What was the impact of penicillin on medicine?
- around 15% of wounded British and US soldiers would have died without penicillin
- thousands of injured soldiers returned to service much more quickly than they would have done without penicillin treatment
- after the war, penicillin became available for doctors. It was classified as an antibiotic and has gone on to save the lives of millions of people.
- other antibiotics followed: streptomycin (1944) proved an excellent treatment for tuberculosis, while tetracycline (1953) was great for cleaning up skin infections. Mitomycin (1956) has been used as a chemotherapy drug for treating several types of cancer
What have been some key developments in treatment since 1945?
Between 1946 and 1969: free vaccines available in the UK for TB, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, measles and rubella.
1957: the drug thalidomide is used to treat morning sickness in pregnancy but causes terrible deformities in babies.
1970: a British scientist develops cyclosporine, which prevents the body rejecting transplanted organs
1978: doctors use IVF fertility treatment to help childless women become preganant
What were some key developments in surgery since 1945?
1950: first open-heart surgery used to repair a ‘hole’ in a baby’s heart;first pacemaker fitted in 1958, followed by the first British heart transplant (1968)
Livers, lungs kidneys, pancreases, bone marrow and even faces can also be transplanted today
Miniature hearing aids (1952), hip replacements (1972) and skin grafts (1984) are now common.
What were some key developments in understanding the body and disease since 1945?
1953: stem cells discovered: in 2013, the first human liver was grown from stem cells
1953: scientists at Cambridge (Watson and Crick) map out the DNA structure; the understanding of DNA leads to developments such as gene therapy, genetic screening and genetic engineering
1970s and 1980s: technology that we take for granted today was developed: CAT scanners that produce 3D images of the body (1973); endoscope probes that allow doctors to ‘see’ inside the body (1975);MRI scanning (1987).
How did technology influence twentieth century medical developments?
- new technologies such as keyhole surgery and MRI scanning help doctors and surgeons develop new techniques for identifying illnesses and operating on them
- discoveries, such as understanding more about DNA, have helped gene researchers find specific genes involved in diseases
How did war influence twentieth century medical development?
- two world wars meant that the government spent a fortune on research, and testing drugs and surgical techniques
- doctors had to find better ways to treat casualties too
How did a change in attitudes affect twentieth century medical development?
Modern politicians have realised that one of their main priorities is to help and protect the people they serve. ‘Healthy Eating Standards’ in schools is a good example of this.
How did government and finance affect twentieth century medical development?
- governments spend far more money on research and care than ever before
- drug companies spend huge amounts of money on research and development, hoping to make money from cures
How did communication affect twentieth century medical development?
- new ideas spread rapidly due to the increased use of television, news, media and the internet
- televisions and radio adverts have made more people than ever aware of health risks
