Not to be sniffed at: new antibiotics discovered in the nose
Scientists at the University of Tübingen and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have discovered that Staphylococcus lugdunensis which colonises in the human nose produces a previously unknown antibiotic.
As tests on mice have shown, the substance, which has been named, Lugdunin is able to combat multiresistant pathogens, where many classic antibiotics have become ineffective.
The research results are published in the scientific journal Nature.
Professor Colin Garner, chief executive, Antibiotic Research UK, said:
“Altering the balance of bacteria in our bodies through the production of natural antibiotics could eventually be exploited to fight off bacterial infections. It is possible that this report will be the first of many demonstrating that bacteria in our bodies can produce novel antibiotics with new chemical structures.
“Alongside a report that men with beards have fewer pathogens including MRSA on their faces than clean-shaven men, it seems the paper identifying lugdunin should be viewed alongside facial hair as a preventer of infection. Perhaps stopping people picking their nose, and eating or swallowing snot, may actually be the wrong thing to do, as lugdunin and possibly other natural antibiotics might be fighting infections in our bodies all the time.”
Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria – like the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which colonises on human skin – are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The natural habitat of harmful Staphylococcus bacteria is the human nasal cavity.
In their experiments, Dr. Bernhard Krismer, Alexander Zipperer and Professor Andreas Peschel from the Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT) observed that Staphylococcus aureus is rarely found when Staphylococcus lugdunensis is present in the nose.
“Normally antibiotics are formed only by soil bacteria and fungi,” says Professor Andreas Peschel. “The notion that human microflora may also be a source of antimicrobial agents is a new discovery.” In future studies, scientists will examine whether Lugdunin could actually be used in therapy. One potential use is introducing harmless Lugdunin-forming bacteria to patients at risk from MRSA as a preventative measure.
Researchers from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Tübingen closely examined the structure of Lugdunin and discovered that it consists of a previously unknown ring structure of protein blocks and thus establishes a new class of materials.
Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem for physicians. "There are estimates which suggest that more people will die from resistant bacteria in the coming decades than cancer," said Dr Bernhard Krismer. “The improper use of antibiotics strengthens this alarming development”.
As many of the pathogens are part of human microflora on skin and mucous membranes, they cannot be avoided. Particularly for patients with serious underlying illnesses and weakened immune systems they represent a high risk – these patients are easy prey for the pathogens.
Now the findings made by scientists at the University of Tübingen open up new ways to develop sustainable strategies for infection prevention and to find new antibiotics – also in the human body.