Antibiotic resistance: 'Snot wars' study yields new class of drugs

[nitpicker]

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36910766

Antibiotic resistance: 'Snot wars' study yields new class of drugs

By James Gallagher
Health and science reporter, BBC News

8 hours ago

A new class of antibiotics has been discovered by analysing the bacterial warfare taking place up people's noses, scientists report. Tests reported in the journal Nature found the resulting drug, lugdunin, could treat superbug infections. The researchers, at the University of Tubingen in Germany, say the human body is an untapped source of new drugs.

The last new class of the drugs to reach patients was discovered in the 1980s. Nearly all antibiotics were discovered in soil bacteria, but the University of Tubingen research team turned to the human body.
(snip)

Among the bugs that like to invade the nose is Staphylococcus aureus, including the dreaded superbug strain MRSA. It is found in the noses of 30% of people. But why not everyone?

The scientists discovered that people with the rival bug Staphylococcus lugdunensis in their nostrils were less likely to have S. aureus. The German team used various strains of genetically-modified S. lugdunensis to work out the crucial piece of genetic code that allowed it to win the fight to live among your nose hairs. They eventually pinpointed a single crucial gene that contained the instructions for building a new antibiotic, which they named lugdunin.

Tests on mice showed lugdunin could treat superbug infections on the skin including MRSA, as well as Enterococcus infections.
(snip)

[question everything]

1. Good. Scientists (and pharmaceutical companies) finally realize that this is a race

that will not end.

I shudder when I remember, in the early 80s, a noted microbiologist claimed that there was no need to study microbiology. This was the time when most depts. of microbiology switched to the more sexist topic of molecular biology and genetic engineering. Myself included, I admit..