In 2018, the Wageningen company Micreos succeeded in developing a medicine that can attack and combat the MSRA bacteria. The MRSA bacterium is very notorious in hospitals because this bacterium is resistant to all kinds of common types of antibiotics. With the development of the new medicine, it is now possible to tackle this bacterium. This bacterium is also increasingly found outside hospitals. The medicine is therefore world news.
- MRSA bacteria
- Quarantine and antibiotics
- New medicine
MRSA bacteria
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA bacteria is a resistant bacteria that is insensitive to various types of antibiotics. For that reason it is a very dangerous bacteria to contract. This bacterium is usually transmitted from person to person, but is also present in the environment of patients. It can then be found in all kinds of fabric coverings such as bedding, curtains and floor coverings. But the bacteria can also attach to metal and plastic objects. This can cause new infections to arise very quickly. The MSRA bacterium is especially dangerous for people with reduced resistance, such as in a hospital or a nursing home. The infections that occur can easily spread to multiple organs via the bloodstream. This bacterium can sometimes be stopped by the poisonous antibiotic vancomycin, which, however, has side effects. In healthy people, the skin bacteria can appear as Staphylococcus Aureus without causing any problems for these people.
To clean
Almost the only existing approach so far to prevent the MSRA bacteria is proper cleaning in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes. This is then sprayed with hydrogen peroxide, among other things. Attempts are also made to remove the bacteria from the skin and mucous membranes with disinfectant soap and special ointment. In addition, attempts are made to combat the infection with good nutrition and sufficient rest.
Quarantine and antibiotics
If the MSRA bacteria are found somewhere, in addition to thorough cleaning, quarantine is often another measure to prevent the bacteria from spreading. Until then, vancomycin was the only antibiotic that could sometimes effectively tackle the bacteria. But these antibiotics do have a number of disadvantages. It is quite expensive and has side effects because it also attacks the good bacteria.
New medicine
The new drug that Micreos has developed is an enzyme called Staphefect XDR.300. To develop the medicine, Micreos first looked at how a virus attacks the MSRA bacteria. They then recreated the enzyme that a virus uses for this on a natural basis. The enzyme in question is a protein that can pierce the bacterium, thus disabling it and destroying it. In 2020, the enzyme is included in an ointment. Within a number of years, the company hopes to also be able to offer the medicine by injection or in the form of pills. The question remains whether this will be feasible in a few years. According to the company, resistance to this drug is almost impossible. If the bacterium had the ability to become resistant to Staphefect, the bacterium would have done so a long time ago, according to Micreos. Yet another advantage of the drug is that it only destroys the MSRA bacteria and spares the other good bacteria.
The ointment has been used since 2012 (then called Gladskin) for people with skin conditions associated with inflammation, such as eczema and rosacea. Micreos mentions a satisfaction rate of over 80% among users of this ointment for skin problems.
Micreos was awarded 2 1/2 million euros in November 2019 by the prestigious EU’s Horizon 2020 program to further develop this.
