A new weapon in the fight against superbugs | David Brenner

翻译人员: Bingxian Bai 校对人员: Yu Xie

So ... we're in a real live war at the moment,

在此刻，我们正经历着 一场真实的战争，

and it's a war that we're truly losing.

一场我方处于劣势的战争。

It's a war on superbugs.

这是一场对抗超级细菌的战争。

So you might wonder,

你可能会感到好奇，

if I'm going to talk about superbugs,

如果我打算谈论超级细菌，

why I'm showing you a photograph of some soccer fans --

那么为什么我会给你们看 一张都是足球迷的照片——

Liverpool soccer fans celebrating a famous victory

这是利物浦足球迷 在庆祝一场著名的胜利 ,

in Istanbul, a decade ago.

是在十年前的伊斯坦布尔。

In the back, in the red shirt,

在后面，穿着红色T恤的人

well, that's me,

就是我，

and next to me in the red hat, that's my friend Paul Rice.

我旁边那个戴红色帽子的人， 是我的朋友保罗·赖斯。

So a couple of years after this picture was taken,

在拍完这张照片几年之后，

Paul went into hospital for some minor surgery,

保罗去医院做了个小手术，

and he developed a superbug-related infection,

然而他被超级细菌感染，

and he died.

后来去世了。

And I was truly shocked.

我当时感到不可思议，

He was a healthy guy in the prime of life.

他身体健康，正值壮年。

So there and then,

不过在那时，

and actually with a lot of encouragement from a couple of TEDsters,

TED社区的一些人都来鼓励我，

I declared my own personal war on superbugs.

我开启了我个人与超级细菌的战争。

So let's talk about superbugs for a moment.

那么让我们来讨论一下超级细菌。

The story actually starts in the 1940s

超级细菌的出现 实际上开始于1940年代，

with the widespread introduction of antibiotics.

那时抗生素已经正式进入市场。

And since then,

从那以后，

drug-resistant bacteria have continued to emerge,

耐药细菌持续兴起，

and so we've been forced to develop newer and newer drugs

因此，我们被迫不断制更新的药物

to fight these new bacteria.

用于对抗这些新细菌。

And this vicious cycle actually is the origin of superbugs,

这种恶性循环实际上是 超级细菌的起源，

which is simply bacteria for which we don't have effective drugs.

也就是那些没有有效药物 可以与之对抗的细菌。

I'm sure you'll recognize at least some of these superbugs.

我相信你们对它们中的 某些细菌有印象。

These are the more common ones around today.

如今，这些细菌已经越来越普遍了。

Last year, around 700,000 people died

去年，大约70万人死于

from superbug-related diseases.

超级细菌相关的疾病。

Looking to the future,

展望未来，

if we carry on on the path we're going,

如果我们继续走这条路，

which is basically a drugs-based approach to the problem,

也就是依靠药物解决问题的道路，

the best estimate by the middle of this century

最乐观的估计是，到本世纪中叶

is that the worldwide death toll from superbugs will be 10 million.

全球由于超级细菌致死的人数 将达到1000万。

10 million.

1000万。

Just to put that in context, that's actually more

如果大家对这个数字 没什么概念的话，这实际上比

than the number of people that died of cancer worldwide last year.

去年全球范围内 死于癌症的人数还要多。

So it seems pretty clear that we're not on a good road,

所以很明显，我们并没有 在一条正确的路上，

and the drugs-based approach to this problem is not working.

基于药物解决问题并不管用。

I'm a physicist,

我是一名物理学家，

and so I wondered, could we take a physics-based approach --

因此我在想，我们是否可以 采用一种基于物理学的方法——

a different approach to this problem.

一个不同的解决问题的方法。

And in that context,

在那种情况下，

the first thing we know for sure,

第一件我们可以确定的事，

is that we actually know how to kill every kind of microbe,

就是实际上我们知道 如何杀死每一种微生物，

every kind of virus,

每一种病毒，

every kind of bacteria.

每一种细菌。

And that's with ultraviolet light.

可以使用紫外线。

We've actually known this for more than 100 years.

事实上，100多年前 我们就知道了这一点。

I think you all know what ultraviolet light is.

我想你们都知道紫外线是什么。

It's part of a spectrum that includes infrared,

它是光谱的一部分，光谱包括红外线、

it includes visible light,

可见光，

and the short-wavelength part of this group is ultraviolet light.

短波长的部分就是紫外线。

The key thing from our perspective here

在我们看来，最重要的一点

is that ultraviolet light kills bacteria by a completely different mechanism

即紫外线杀死细菌与药物杀死细菌

from the way drugs kill bacteria.

是完全不同的原理。

So ultraviolet light is just as capable of killing a drug-resistant bacteria

而紫外线能够杀死耐药细菌

as any other bacteria,

以及其他任何细菌，

and because ultraviolet light is so good at killing all bugs,

而且由于紫外线擅长杀死所有细菌，

it's actually used a lot these days to sterilize rooms,

如今它得到许多应用， 比如消毒房间，

sterilize working surfaces.

消毒操作台面。

What you see here is a surgical theater

你们现在看到的是一个手术室

being sterilized with germicidal ultraviolet light.

正在用有杀菌力的紫外线消毒。

But what you don't see in this picture, actually,

但是在这张图上你看不到的，

is any people,

是人，

and there's a very good reason for that.

因为有一个很好的理由。

Ultraviolet light is actually a health hazard,

实际上，紫外线对健康有害，

so it can damage cells in our skin,

它可以破坏我们皮肤里的细胞，

cause skin cancer,

引起皮肤癌，

it can damage cells in our eye,

它可以破坏我们眼睛里的细胞，

cause eye diseases like cataract.

造成眼疾，如白内障。

So you can't use conventional, germicidal, ultraviolet light

所以，当周围有人的时候，你没法使用

when there are people are around.

传统的、有杀菌力的紫外线。

And of course,

当然，

we want to sterilize mostly when there are people around.

大部分有人在的时候， 我们也想要消毒。

So the ideal ultraviolet light

所以，理想的紫外线

would actually be able to kill all bacteria,

实际上能够杀死所有的细菌，

including superbugs,

包括超级细菌，

but would be safe for human exposure.

但对于人体暴露又是安全的。

And actually that's where my physics background kicked into this story.

事实上，这也是我的物理学背景 能够发挥作用的地方。

Together with my physics colleagues,

我和同行们一起发现了

we realized there actually is a particular wavelength of ultraviolet light

实际上有一种独特波长的紫外线

that should kill all bacteria,

应该可以杀死所有细菌，

but should be safe for human exposure.

但又对人体无害。

That wavelength is called far-UVC light,

它被称为远—短波紫外线（far-UVC），

and it's just the short-wavelength part of the ultraviolet spectrum.

是紫外线光谱中一个短波长部分。

So let's see how that would work.

让我们来看看这背后的原理吧。

What you're seeing here is the surface of our skin,

你们现在看到的是我们皮肤的表面，

and I'm going to superimpose on that some bacteria in the air above the skin.

我将添加一些细菌 在皮肤表面的空气中。

Now we're going to see what happens

现在我们来看看当皮肤暴露在

when conventional, germicidal, ultraviolet light impinges on this.

传统的、有杀菌力的 紫外线中会发生什么。

So what you see is,

你们现在看到的是，

as we know, germicidal light is really good at killing bacteria,

有杀菌力的紫外线 确实对细菌有很强杀伤力，

but what you also see

但你们也看到了

is that it penetrates into the upper layers of our skin,

它可以穿透我们的表层皮肤，

and it can damage those key cells in our skin

它可以破坏我们皮肤里的重要细胞

which ultimately, when damaged, can lead to skin cancer.

最终，这些细胞被破坏， 可能会引起皮肤癌。

So let's compare now with far-UVC light --

现在让我们来对比一下 远—短波紫外线——

same situation,

同样的情况下，

skin and some bacteria in the air above them.

皮肤和皮肤表面空气中的一些细菌。

So what you're seeing now

所以现在你看到的是，

is that again, far-UVC light's perfectly fine at killing bacteria,

又一次，远—短波紫外线 完美地杀死了细菌，

but what far-UVC light can't do is penetrate into our skin.

但是远—短波紫外线 不能穿入我们的皮肤。

And there's a good, solid physics reason for that:

而且有一个很好的、可靠的物理学原因：

far-UVC light is incredibly, strongly absorbed by all biological materials,

远—短波紫外线是如此的不可思议， 能够被所有的生物材料强烈吸收，

so it simply can't go very far.

所以它无法照射太远。

Now, viruses and bacteria are really, really, really small,

病毒和细菌都是非常、非常小的，

so the far-UVC light can certainly penetrate them and kill them,

所以远—短波紫外线毫无疑问 能够穿透并杀死它们，

but what it can't do is penetrate into skin,

但是它无法穿入皮肤，

and it can't even penetrate the dead-cell area

而且它甚至无法穿透死细胞区

right at the very surface of our skin.

就在我们皮肤的最表面。

So far-UVC light should be able to kill bacteria,

所以远—短波紫外线应该能够杀死细菌，

but kill them safely.

但对于人体而言又是安全的。

So that's the theory.

就是这个理论。

It should work, should be safe.

它应该可以起作用，应该是安全的。

What about in practice?

那么实践当中又是如何的？

Does it really work?

它真的有效吗？

Is it really safe?

真的安全吗？

So that's actually what our lab has been working on

实际上这就是我们实验室

the past five or six years,

过去五、六年以来一直在研究的问题，

and I'm delighted to say the answer to both these questions

并且我很高兴的告诉大家，

is an emphatic yes.

答案毫无疑问都是肯定的。

Yes, it does work,

是的，它确实有用，

but yes, it is safe.

而且，它是安全的。

So I'm delighted to say that,

我很高兴能这么说，

but actually I'm not very surprised to say that,

但事实上能这么说， 我并不感到惊讶，

because it's purely the laws of physics at work.

因为这单纯就是 物理学的规律在起作用。

So let's look to the future.

那么让我们展望一下未来。

I'm thrilled that we now have a completely new weapon,

我很激动， 现在我们有了一种全新的武器，

and I should say an inexpensive weapon,

我应该这么说，一种便宜的武器，

in our fight against superbugs.

用于我们与超级细菌的对抗。

For example,

举例而言，

I see far-UVC lights in surgical theaters.

我看到手术室里有远—短波紫外线。

I see far-UVC lights in food preparation areas.

我看到食物准备区里 有远—短波紫外线。

And in terms of preventing the spread of viruses,

为了预防病毒的传播，

I see far-UVC lights in schools,

我看到学校里有远—短波紫外线，

preventing the spread of influenza,

为了预防流感的传播，

preventing the spread of measles,

预防麻疹的传播，

and I see far-UVC lights in airports or airplanes,

我看到机场和飞机上 有远—短波紫外线，

preventing the global spread of viruses like H1N1 virus.

用于预防像H1N1病毒 那样的病毒在全球传播。

So back to my friend Paul Rice.

再回到我朋友保罗·赖斯的故事。

He was actually a well-known and well-loved local politician

实际上，在我们的家乡利物浦， 他是一位人尽皆知

in his and my hometown of Liverpool,

且受人爱戴的地方政治家，

and they put up a statue in his memory in the center of Liverpool,

人们在利物浦的市中心 建了一座雕塑纪念他，

and there it is.

就是这座。

But me,

而我，

I want Paul's legacy to be a major advance in this war against superbugs.

我希望保罗留给我们的是在这场对抗 超级细菌的战争中出现一个巨大的进步。

Armed with the power of light,

在我们能够掌控的范围之内，

that's actually within our grasp.

以紫外线为武器。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Chris Anderson: Stay up here, David, I've got a question for you.

克里斯·安德森： 等等，大卫，我有一个问题要问你。

(Applause)

（掌声）

David, tell us where you're up to in developing this,

大卫，告诉我们你的研究进展到哪里了，

and what are the remaining obstacles to trying to roll out

为了实现这个梦想，剩下有待解决的

and realize this dream?

阻碍有哪些？

David Brenner: Well, I think we now know that it kills all bacteria,

大卫·布伦纳：我认为 我们现在知道了它能够杀死所有细菌，

but we sort of knew that before we started,

在我们开始之前就有所了解，

but we certainly tested that.

而且我们确实也测试过。

So we have to do lots and lots of tests about safety,

所以我们需要做许多 关于它的安全性的测试，

and so it's more about safety than it is about efficacy.

比起它的疗效，我们更关注它的安全。

And we need to do short-term tests,

我们需要做短期测试，

and we need to do long-term tests

需要做长期测试，

to make sure you can't develop melanoma many years on.

确保多年以后你不会得黑色素瘤。

So those studies are pretty well done at this point.

这些研究目前进展相当顺利。

The FDA of course is something we have to deal with,

当然，我们要得到 食品药品监督管理局（FDA）的许可，

and rightly so,

也应该这么做，

because we certainly can't use this in the real world without FDA approval.

因为我们肯定不能在没有得到 FDA的许可之下投入使用。

CA: Are you trying to launch first in the US,

克里斯·安德森：你是打算在美国最先试用，

or somewhere else?

还是在其他地方？

DB: Actually, in a couple of countries.

大卫·布伦纳： 不只是美国，

In Japan and in the US, both.

会在日本和美国同时开展。

CA: Have you been able to persuade biologists, doctors,

克里斯·安德森： 你有说服过生物学家、医生，

that this is a safe approach?

告诉他们这是一种安全的方法吗？

DB: Well, as you can imagine, there is a certain skepticism

大卫·布伦纳： 你也知道确实存在某种怀疑，

because everybody knows that UV light is not safe.

因为人人都知道紫外线不安全。

So when somebody comes along and says,

所以当有人过来说，

"Well, this particular UV light is safe,"

“这种独特的紫外线是安全的，”

there is a barrier to be crossed,

仍有障碍等待逾越，

but the data are there,

但是数据就在那里，

and I think that's what we're going to be standing on.

数据就是我们依据。

CA: Well, we wish you well.

克里斯·安德森： 好的，我们希望你能成功。

This is potentially such important work.

这是一项如此重要的工作。

Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

非常感谢你与我们分享。

谢谢你，大卫。

Thank you, David.

（掌声）

(Applause)