Researchers from the University of Liverpool and the National University of Ireland Galway have identified a way to more effectively treat MRSA.
MRSA
The team has shown that by using penicillin to weaken the virus, the immune system and other antibiotics could eradicate the infection.
This new treatment has the potential to change the current clinical guidelines for treatment of patients with MRSA infections in both hospital and community settings.
A recent randomised controlled trial in Australia involving 60 patients led by Menzies School of Health Research showed that the duration of MRSA sepsis was reduced from 3 days to 1.9 days due to the combination of penicillin and antibiotics.
The research findings, funded by the Health Research Board and the Medical Research Council, are published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
MRSA, otherwise known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is caused by bacteria that has become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat regular infections. Approximately 20% of patients infected with MRSA die from systemic infections.
Study co-lead Professor Aras Kadioglu said: “Although aggressive hospital infection control initiatives appear to be having a positive impact on hospital-acquired MRSA rates in some developed countries, the global burden still remains unacceptably high. Infections caused by community associated MRSA strains and strains that are currently methicillin sensitive are increasing at a worrying speed. Given the escalating antimicrobial resistance crisis, it is imperative to identify new therapeutic strategies and to re-evaluate how current antimicrobial drugs are used, as such our data are timely and highly important.”
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now considered as one of the greatest threats to the global population. It’s estimated that AMR infections will cause more deaths than cancer by 2050 if not addressed properly.
Professor James O’Gara of the National University of Ireland Galway commented: “Our findings explain the anti-virulence mechanism of penicillin-type antibiotics and support the re-introduction of these drugs as an adjunct therapeutic for MRSA infections. MRSA can be extremely virulent, which is part of the challenge in treating it. Our laboratory research shows that when exposed to penicillin, the bacteria switches off its toxin genes and instead concentrates on thickening its cell wall to resist the antibiotic. Our immune systems can then take advantage of this compromised state to destroy the bacteria.”
“The clinical findings in Australia are very important and now we have the key laboratory data that help explain why the combination of two antibiotics is better than one. The beauty of this approach is that penicillin type antibiotics are not only widely available and safe, but can potentially and more easily be included in clinical practice without the need for long and expensive clinical trials needed for new drugs,” added professor O’Gara.