Doctors target germs' ability to cluster
(AP)
<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080101/ap_on_he_me/healthbeat_disabling_germs"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20071231/capt.864e05600b8b46daa129b8d636161240.healthbeat_disabling_germs_wx101.jpg?x=95&y=130&sig=gw6KltVhlCckrPJWWznKMw--" align="left" height="130" width="95" alt="Matt Redinbo, professor of chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, holds a bacterial enzyme that he is trying to inhibit to kill drug-resistant microbes, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Think of germs as gangsters. One thug lurking on a corner you might outrun, but a dozen swaggering down the street? Yikes. Bacteria make their own gangs, clustering quietly in the body until there's a large enough group to begin an attack. This is the next frontier in fighting drug-resistant superbugs. Instead of trying to directly kill germs, the new goal is to disable bacteria's ability to sicken in the first place ? by busting up the germ gangs. (AP Photo/Jonathan Fredin)" border="0" /></a>AP - Think of germs as gangsters. One thug lurking on a corner you might outrun, but a dozen swaggering down the street? Yikes. Bacteria make their own gangs, clustering quietly in the body until there's a large enough group to begin an attack. This is the next frontier in fighting drug-resistant superbugs. The idea: Don't just try to kill bacteria. The bugs will always find a way to thwart the next antibiotic.</p><br clear="all"/>

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