The Karolinska Institute in Sweden discovered that the human body produces an antibiotic that can fight an UTI. Professor Annelie Brauner underlines that, unlike other antibiotics, in which bacteria developed immunity, the one produced by the body itself in unlikely to suffer such a process. Prof Brauner suggests that it should be used in association to classic treatment methods.



In the past specialists believed that urine prevents the bacteria to reach mucus membrane and that it sterilizes the tract. Recently this crucial part was proved to be attributed to endogenous peptide.

Research showed that in absence of UTI, the quantity of LL 37 peptide is lower than its presence. Analyses of culture human kidneys and bladder tissue identified the source of LL 37: the epithelial tissue of the urinary system. Tests on mice proved that the absence of LL 37 implies more risk of kidney infection.

UTI is, according to Prof. Brauner, "not only painful for the patient, but also his economic burden to society". She further says that "Our findings point to a new way to prevent urinary tract infection by boosting by busting the antibacterial peptide LL 37. For patients suffering from recurrent infection, attack would be the best form of defense". In a common research to Israel, she will study a number of children with recurrent UTI, and will try to increase the endogenous cathelicidin inside their organism.

Urinary tract infections attack more than 60% of all women during their lifetime, from which 20% are recurrent. The cases are rarer in children, but in 40% of them, in case of kidney involvement, get scarring.

Usually, UTI treatment includes antibiotics, administered after tests on a sample of urine that determine what bacteria caused the infection. The initial antibiotic may be replaced with a stronger one. The information provided by the tests, also help to decide for how long the patient should continue the treatment. In case of sickness or impossibility to drink fluid medicine, the antibiotic is given intravenously. The duration of antibiotic administration varies between 3 days and several weeks, and the doses per day start from one and can get to four.