A new weapon in the fight against superbugs | David Brenner

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

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

所以…我們現在正處於真實的戰爭中，

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

且我們真的在節節敗退。

It's a war on superbugs.

這是場與超級病菌之戰。

So you might wonder,

你們可能會納悶，

if I'm going to talk about superbugs,

如果我要來談超級病菌，

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

為什麼我給各位看的是 一些足球迷的照片？

Liverpool soccer fans celebrating a famous victory

這些是利物浦的足球迷， 正在慶祝一場著名的勝仗，

in Istanbul, a decade ago.

十年前在伊斯坦堡的勝仗。

In the back, in the red shirt,

在後排，穿著紅色上衣的，

well, that's me,

就是我。

我旁邊戴紅帽子的那位， 是我的朋友保羅萊斯。

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

So a couple of years after this picture was taken,

這張照片拍攝後幾年，

Paul went into hospital for some minor surgery,

保羅去醫院做小手術時，

and he developed a superbug-related infection,

受到超級病菌的感染，

and he died.

然後過世了。

And I was truly shocked.

我非常震驚。

He was a healthy guy in the prime of life.

他是個很健康的人，正值壯年。

So there and then,

在那時，

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

由於幾位 TED 的人給我許多鼓勵，

I declared my own personal war on superbugs.

我個人向超級病菌宣戰。

So let's talk about superbugs for a moment.

我們先來談一下超級病菌。

The story actually starts in the 1940s

故事開始於 1940 年代，

with the widespread introduction of antibiotics.

當時抗生素被廣泛推廣。

And since then,

從那之後，

drug-resistant bacteria have continued to emerge,

抗藥物的細菌就持續出現，

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

我們就不得不一直開發更新的藥物

to fight these new bacteria.

來對抗新的細菌。

And this vicious cycle actually is the origin of superbugs,

這個惡性循環正是超級病菌的起源，

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

超級病菌就是我們沒有任何 有效藥物可以對抗的細菌。

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

我相信你們應該認識 其中幾種超級病菌。

These are the more common ones around today.

這些是現今比較常見的超級病菌。

Last year, around 700,000 people died

去年，大約有七十萬人

死於超級病菌相關的疾病。

from superbug-related diseases.

Looking to the future,

展望未來，

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

如果我們繼續在現行的路線上前進，

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

基本上就是採取以藥物 為基礎的方法來解決問題，

the best estimate by the middle of this century

到這個世紀中期，最合理預估，

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

全世界會有一千萬人 因為感染超級病菌而死亡，

10 million.

一千萬人。

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

以比喻來說，這個數字

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

比去年全世界死於癌症的人數還多。

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

所以顯然我們的現行路線 不是很理想。

以藥物為基礎的方法 來解決這個問題是行不通的。

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

I'm a physicist,

我是物理學家，

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

所以我就想，我們是否 可以用以物理為基礎的方法，

a different approach to this problem.

用一個不同的方法來解決此問題。

And in that context,

在那個情況下，

the first thing we know for sure,

我們能確定的第一件事，

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

就是我們確實知道如何 殺死每一種微生物，

every kind of virus,

每一種病毒，

every kind of bacteria.

每一種細菌。

And that's with ultraviolet light.

做法就是用紫外線。

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

我們早在一百年前就知道這件事了。

I think you all know what ultraviolet light is.

我想，你們都知道紫外線是什麼。

It's part of a spectrum that includes infrared,

它是光譜的一部份， 光譜上包括了紅外線，

it includes visible light,

它包括了可見光，

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

其中短波長的部份就是紫外線。

The key thing from our perspective here

我們想法的關鍵是

is that ultraviolet light kills bacteria by a completely different mechanism

紫外線殺死細菌的機制

完全不同於藥物殺死細菌的方法。

from the way drugs kill bacteria.

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

紫外線能夠殺死 那些能抵抗藥物的細菌，

as any other bacteria,

就像殺死其他細菌一樣。

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

因為紫外線非常擅長 殺死所有的細菌，

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

其實近期它常常被用來消毒房間、

sterilize working surfaces.

消毒工作表面。

What you see here is a surgical theater

各位現在看到的是一間手術室，

being sterilized with germicidal ultraviolet light.

正在用殺菌紫外線進行消毒。

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

在照片上看不到的一樣東西，

is any people,

就是人。

and there's a very good reason for that.

這背後有個很好的理由。

紫外線對人體的健康有害，

Ultraviolet light is actually a health hazard,

so it can damage cells in our skin,

它可能會傷害我們的皮膚細胞，

cause skin cancer,

造成皮膚癌，

it can damage cells in our eye,

它可能會傷害我們的眼睛細胞，

cause eye diseases like cataract.

造成眼睛疾病，如白內障。

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

所以，你不能把常見的殺菌紫外線

when there are people are around.

用在有人的地方。

And of course,

然而，

we want to sterilize mostly when there are people around.

我們就是想要對人來做殺菌。

So the ideal ultraviolet light

所以，理想的紫外線

would actually be able to kill all bacteria,

要能夠殺死所有細菌，

including superbugs,

包括超級病菌，

but would be safe for human exposure.

但在人類被照射到時，也要是安全的。

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

那就是我的物理背景 進入這個故事的地方了。

Together with my physics colleagues,

我和我的物理同事合作，

we realized there actually is a particular wavelength of ultraviolet light

我們發現，紫外線有一個特定的波長

that should kill all bacteria,

應該能夠殺死所有細菌，

but should be safe for human exposure.

而且照射到人類也是安全的。

That wavelength is called far-UVC light,

那波長被稱為「遠紫外線」，

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

它只是紫外線光譜上的短波部份。

So let's see how that would work.

我們來看看它是怎麼運作的。

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

各位在這裡看到的是皮膚的表面，

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

我要在皮膚上面的空氣中 加上一些的細菌。

Now we're going to see what happens

現在我們來看看

when conventional, germicidal, ultraviolet light impinges on this.

用常見的殺菌紫外線 在上面照射後會發生什麼事。

So what you see is,

你們現在看到的是，

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

如我們所知，殺菌紫外線 真的很擅長殺死細菌，

but what you also see

但你們也看到，

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

它穿透過皮膚的上面幾層，

and it can damage those key cells in our skin

它可能會傷害皮膚的重要細胞。

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

當這些細胞受損， 最終可能就會導致皮膚癌。

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

現在來和遠紫外線做個比較－－

same situation,

在同樣的情況下，

skin and some bacteria in the air above them.

皮膚上的空氣中有一些細菌。

So what you're seeing now

現在各位看到的，

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

是遠紫外線也可以很完美地殺死細菌，

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

但遠紫外線卻不會穿透我們的皮膚。

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

這個現象的背後有個很好 而且很可靠的物理理由：

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

遠紫外線能被所有的生物材料 以不可思議的程度強力吸收，

so it simply can't go very far.

所以它就是走不遠。

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

病毒和細菌都極其微小，

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

所以遠紫外線肯定 可以穿透並殺死它們。

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

但它無法做到的，就是穿透皮膚，

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

它甚至無法穿透我們皮膚 表面的死細胞區域。

right at the very surface of our skin.

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

所以遠紫外線應該可以殺死細菌，

but kill them safely.

而且對人體是安全的。

So that's the theory.

所以理論是這樣，

It should work, should be safe.

它應該有用，應該安全。

What about in practice?

那麼在實際運作時呢？

Does it really work?

它真的有用嗎？

Is it really safe?

它真的安全嗎？

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

那正是過去五到六年間， 我們的實驗室在努力的，

the past five or six years,

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

我很高興地告訴各位， 這兩個問題的答案，

is an emphatic yes.

是很肯定的「是的」。

Yes, it does work,

是的，它的確有用，

but yes, it is safe.

是的，它是安全的。

So I'm delighted to say that,

我很高興能那麼說，

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

但其實這結果並不會讓我訝異，

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

因為那很單純就是物理原理。

So let's look to the future.

咱們來看看未來。

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

我們現在有了全新的武器， 我感到很興奮，

and I should say an inexpensive weapon,

我應該說是不貴的武器，

in our fight against superbugs.

能用來對抗超級病菌。

For example,

比如，

I see far-UVC lights in surgical theaters.

我可在手術室看到遠紫外線。

I see far-UVC lights in food preparation areas.

在製作食物的區域看到遠紫外線。

And in terms of preventing the spread of viruses,

在預防病毒散播方面，

I see far-UVC lights in schools,

我可在學校看到遠紫外線，

preventing the spread of influenza,

預防感冒傳播，

preventing the spread of measles,

預防麻疹散佈，

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

我在機場或飛機上看到遠紫外線，

preventing the global spread of viruses like H1N1 virus.

預防像 H1N1 這類病毒在全球散佈。

So back to my friend Paul Rice.

回到我的朋友保羅萊斯。

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

在我們的家鄉利物浦，

他其實是位知名 且受愛戴的當地政治家，

in his and my hometown of Liverpool,

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

他們在利物浦的中心 為他立了一座紀念雕像，

and there it is.

就這個。

But me,

但是我，

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

我希望保羅留給世人的是 在超級病菌之戰中的重大進展。

Armed with the power of light,

有了遠紫外線為武器，

that's actually within our grasp.

勝利已經不遠了。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

克里斯安德森：請留步，大衛， 我有個問題想請教。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

大衛，請告訴我們， 你們開發這個的目的是什麼？

and what are the remaining obstacles to trying to roll out

若要實現這個夢想，

and realize this dream?

還有什麼其他障礙待突破？

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

大衛布倫納：我想， 我們現在知道它能殺死所有細菌，

but we sort of knew that before we started,

但在我們開始之前就知道這點了，

but we certainly tested that.

但我們對它做了測試。

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

所以，我們得要做很多 安全相關的測試，

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

重點比較是在安全而非效能。

And we need to do short-term tests,

我們需要做短期測試，

and we need to do long-term tests

我們需要做長期測試，

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

以確保使用者不會因此 在多年之後得到黑色素瘤。

So those studies are pretty well done at this point.

所以，目前那些研究都做得很好。

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

當然，我們必須得到 食品及藥物管理局批准，

and rightly so,

這是理所當然的，

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

因為如果要實際廣泛運用， 就一定要先有食品及藥物管理局的核准。

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

克里斯：你打算先在美國推出，

or somewhere else?

或其他地方？

DB: Actually, in a couple of countries.

大衛：事實上，會在兩個國家。

In Japan and in the US, both.

在日本和美國。

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

克里斯：你是否已經 說服了生物學家及醫生，

that this is a safe approach?

讓他們相信這是安全的方法？

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

大衛：你可以想像， 一定有人會抱持懷疑態度，

because everybody knows that UV light is not safe.

因為每個人都知道紫外線不安全。

So when somebody comes along and says,

所以當有個人說：

"Well, this particular UV light is safe,"

「這種特定的紫外線是安全的。」

there is a barrier to be crossed,

就會有障礙需要跨越，

but the data are there,

但我們已經有數據資料了，

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

那些資料會是我們的基礎。

CA: Well, we wish you well.

克里斯：祝你順利。

This is potentially such important work.

這是可能是相當重要的研究。

Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

非常謝謝和我們分享。

Thank you, David.

謝謝，大衛。

(Applause)

（掌聲）