A groundbreaking study from the University of Copenhagen reveals that signaling molecules from cow bacteria can disrupt MRSA, presenting a new avenue in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
In an exciting breakthrough, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered a new method to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections using signaling molecules derived from cow bacteria.
In a study published in the journal mBio, the scientists revealed that bacterial communication, much like people talking over walkie-talkies, can be disrupted to weaken bacterial coordination and attack. This technique offers a promising alternative in the ongoing battle against antibiotic resistance.
“With our mapping, we can identify which signaling molecules are most effective against MRSA. We found that a signal from another Staphylococcus variant, Staphylococcus simulans, was very potent against S. aureus,” co-corresponding author Christian Adam Olsen, a professor in the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology at the University of Copenhagen, said in a news release. “Originally, the signaling molecule was isolated from a bacterial strain from a cow, but it is also present on goats, horses and humans.”
MRSA strains are particularly troublesome due to their resistance to standard antibiotics.
The researchers utilized their new understanding of bacterial signaling to test the efficacy of a molecule from S. simulans in combating MRSA infections in a mouse model.
The results were encouraging.
“In the experiment, we showed that with a single dose of this signaling molecule, the mice could overcome an MRSA skin infection just as effectively as mice treated daily with an antibiotic ointment, which is a current option for treating staphylococcal skin infections,” added co-author Benjamin Svejdal Sereika-Bejder, a postdoc in the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology at the University of Copenhagen.
One of the most critical aspects of this discovery is the potential to circumvent the issue of bacterial resistance that plagues current antibiotic treatments. When bacteria do not perceive a treatment as lethal, they are less likely to develop resistance.
“No one has previously tested whether staphylococci develop resistance towards treatment with these signaling molecules, as we see with antibiotics. In our experiments, we observed that under laboratory conditions, the bacteria did not develop resistance even after 15 days. This is very promising but will require further testing in animal models,” Sereika-Bejder added.
By allowing the bacteria to live but preventing them from effectively coordinating attacks, this method does not exert the evolutionary pressure that typically leads to resistance.
“The explanation is likely that there is no evolutionary pressure on the bacteria to develop resistance, as they do not perceive the signaling molecules as being lethal to them. They are also encountering the signaling molecules from other bacteria in their natural environment,” added Olsen.
Source: University of Copenhagen