Biochemistry’s Advances In Medical Science

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28328, 13 July 1957, Page 2

Biochemistry’s Advances In Medical Science

"The Press" Special Service

WELLINGTON, July 11.

A strange new world in which harmful bacteria are induced to eat fake foods which kill them, and in which sheep may one day be replaced by engineers who extract food protein straight from grass, was outlined by the head ot the new biochemistry sub-depart-ment of Victoria University College (Dr. Richard Truscoe). Startling advances in medical science were being made by biochemists, said Dr. Truscoe.

A change was also in progress in the treatment of brain and nervous diseases. These appeared now to be due to biochem cal defects rather than to psychological defects. Great advances had been made in the treatment of those disorders with the use of drugs such as alkaloids derived from the Indian plant Rauwolfia serpentina. It was, in fact, an old Indian remedy for these diseases, and was one of a number of plant alkaloids, synthetics, and other drugs in this field.

Biochemistry was the study of the basic processes of life, said Dr.

Truscoe. Thanks to advances in nuclear physics, it- was possible for biochemists to view the processes which go on inside the cells of living organisms. ‘‘The differences between individuals, species and genera are basically derived from chemical differences,” said Dr. Truscoe. “By acquiring knowledge of how the metabolism or living chemistry Of a disease germ differs from its victim it has become possible to make a rational approach to the remedying of degenerative states in humans, domestic animals, and plants.” The treatment of diabetes was a well-known example. Here science supplied insulin to make up for a deficiency in the bodily ' metabolism which left excess amounts of sugar unused. In mental diseases more and more phychologists were coming to use biochemical means of treatment. In ' other' cases the biochemist took Advantage of the difference between an invading cell and the organism it was invading. “The best example is tuberculosis,” said Dr. Truscoe. “The tuberculosis germ is poisoned by such things as streptomycin, to which human cells are relatively resistant. All the antibiotics such as penicillin block the, metabolism of bacteria at some essential step, but have no action on human cells.”

Dr. Truscoe said that the reason for the success of antibiotics was that the chemical process used in the life process of bacteria had a step which human cells did not have. This step was essential to the life of the. bacteria. It was stopped by adding ' something sufficiently similar to the essential metabolate or food substance of the cell to be accepted by the cell. This metabolate was, however, sufficiently different to prevent the cell’s process going further. “Biochemistry is being recognised as a necessity in New Zealand, which depends stf largely upon agriculture and animal husbandry,” said .Dr. Truscoe. Biochemistry is of importance to all food products, and in their processing.”