Superbug cure comes a step closer

Published on Sunday 3 October 2010 18:02

Scientists are a step closer to finding a cure for MRSA, experts said yesterday.

Researchers have developed a pioneering method to identify specific proteins that could be used to combat antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Their findings have been hailed as a significant step in the fight against deadly infections.

Lytic enzymes, which attack bacteria, have already been singled out as a potential solution but until now their potential to destroy harmful cells has been calculated on a largely ad-hoc basis.

Now scientists have found a way to pinpoint the proteins - naturally present in viruses and in body fluids such as tears, saliva and mucus - with the optimum characteristics for killing bacteria.

Unlike antibiotics, most lytic enzymes kill only a limited range of bacteria, which allows researchers to target superbugs while leaving surrounding tissue intact.

Joshua Weitz and Gabriel Mitchell, biologists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, joined Daniel Nelson, a biochemist at the University of Maryland, to identify the bacteria-killing characteristics of lytic enzymes.

They were able to determine, on a microscopic scale, the rate at which they pierce cell walls.This can be fatal to bacteria because of their internal pressure - the piercing is analogous to removing the wire on a shaken-up bottle of champagne.