MSRA can be stopped before it becomes dangerous ....

In continuation of my update on MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), I found the following info interesting.

C. Jeffrey Brinker research group has determined that the very first stage of staph infection, when bacteria switch from a harmless to a virulent form, occurs in a single cell and that this individual process can be stopped by the application of a simple protein (as against the belief that, staph infections are caused by many bacterial cells that signal each other to emit toxins. The signaling process is called quorum sensing). The most significant results from the researchers are :

1. isolation of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in individual (isolation of an individual bacterium
previously had been achieved only computationally);

2. demonstration of release of signaling peptides from a single cell, not a quorum &

3. introduction of an inexpensive, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) to bind to the
messenger peptide, they stopped the single cell from reprogramming itself.

One aspect of experimental rigor was the team's ability to organize living cells into a nanostructured matrix. The researchers has already done it with yeast, and just extended the process to bacteria. Researchers are optimistic about finding a mechanism to locate bacteria reprogramming in the body so that the antidote can be delivered in time. If they achieve what they are optimistic, so there will selectivity of targeting the bacteria (human gastro-intestinal system contains many useful bacteria) which in my opinion will be a remarkable feat....

Ref : http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nchembio.264.html