Glacial mineral clay could be effective weapon against drug resilient pathogens
On Jan. 26, 2016, microbiologists Julian Davies and Shekooh Behroozian from the University of British Columbia published research on a rare, naturally occurring mineral clay found in Kisameet Bay, approximately 400 kilometers north of Vancouver, British Columbia. The research was published in the American Society for Microbiology’s journal mBio, and suggests further study of the rare mineral clay’s potent antibacterial abilities in order to better understand its potential therapeutic uses.
Located in a shallow five-acre basin of granite approximately nine-metres above sea level, the deposit of clay sits at the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest on British Columbia’s central coast. It was formed by glaciers towards the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago. The glacial mineral clay has been used by the local Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) First Nation for centuries due to its various healing properties. According to an article published by UBC, the Kisameet glacial clay has traditionally been administered as a naturopathic remedy to treat a number of medical conditions that can include mild skin irritations, burns, arthritis, neuritis, duodenal ulcers, and ulcerative colitis.
Legends of the potent healing properties of the clay first drew scientific interest during the 1940s and 50s, when MIT colloid scientist Dr. Ernest Hauser led a team of researchers in the investigation of the rumoured potency of the clay. The recent study done at UBC continued to examine the clay’s various properties. Special attention was paid to the investigation of the clay’s antimicrobial abilities in a number of applications—such as its potential for eliminating multi-drug resistant pathogens like the ESKAPE strains of bacteria. Reportedly, these ESKAPE pathogens “cause the majority of U.S. hospital infections and [are able to] ‘escape’ the effects of antibacterial drugs,” according to an article published by CBC.
“Infections caused by ESKAPE bacteria are essentially untreatable and contribute to increasing mortality in hospitals,” said Julian Davies in a UBC media release on Jan. 26, 2016.
Davies continued to explain that, “After 50 years of over-using and misusing antibiotics, ancient medicinals, and other natural mineral-based agents, [the clay] may provide new weapons in the battle against multi-drug resistant pathogens.”
Scientists used sampled strains of ESKAPE bacteria from a variety of sources—such as St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia’s wastewater treatment plant—to test the antibacterial properties of the clay. During testing, researchers reported that the clay, when suspended in water, was successfully able to kill 16 strains of the sampled ESKAPE bacteria—a notable breakthrough due to the resilient nature of serious infections caused by the ESKAPE pathogens whenever they are introduced to antibacterial drugs.
While there have not been any reports of toxic side effects in the human use of the Kisameet glacial clay, further clinical testing will be required before in-hospital use can be made feasible.