Nose Bacteria Could Potentially Treat Drug Resistant Pathogens

Researchers recently found a bacteria discovered in the human nose could create an antibiotic that can kill drug resistant pathogens.

Researchers turned the found bacteria, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, into the antibiotic Lugdunin that can combat resistant pathogens such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can cause fatal infections.

In a study published by Nature, researchers discovered that Lugdunin was able to treat a skin infection caused by S. aureus, and was also effective against Gram-positive bacteria including MRSA. Researchers found that MRSA was rarely found in the human nose when S. lugdunesis is present.

Lugdunin was also shown to be created by a novel structure of protein blocks, making it a new class of drug called peptide antibiotics.

“Normally antibiotics are formed only by soil bacteria and fungi,” said researcher Andreas Peschel, PhD. “The notion that human microflora may also be a source of antimicrobial agents is a new discovery.”

In the future, researchers plan to test Lugdunin in human patients, and potentially introduce Lugdunin-forming bacteria to prevent MRSA infections, the study concluded.