Vaccine Protects Mice Against MRSA Superbug

New Scientist ^ | 10-30-2006 | Roxanne Khamsi

[blam]

Vaccine protects mice against MRSA superbug

22:36 30 October 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi

A newly developed vaccine might serve as a useful weapon against the drug-resistant superbug MRSA, researchers say. Tests in mice have shown that the vaccine can protect against multiple types of MRSA, which can cause fatal infections in humans.

Experts say the discovery of a broadly effective vaccine is especially important as more infectious MRSA strains have recently emerged. They also stress that patients with compromised immune systems face an ever-increasing risk of acquiring MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, while in hospital.

Olaf Schneewind at the University of Chicago, Illinois, US and his colleagues came up with the new vaccine by identifying the bits of genetic code that eight different S. aureus strains share. This genetic analysis revealed 19 proteins that can be found on the cell surface of all eight strains.

Researchers then tested what type of immune response each of these proteins could trigger in mice by injecting the proteins individually into the animals. Of the 19 tested, they selected the four protein types that elicited the greatest immune system reaction and combined them into a single vaccine.

Schneewind’s team then injected this combination into mice. Three weeks later they exposed the mice to different types of MRSA. All mice that received the vaccine survived exposure to the virulent MRSA strain that causes community-acquired infections in humans. By comparison, 65% of the control mice exposed to the same strains died.

Also, while all of the control mice exposed to the hospital-acquired MRSA strain “USA100” died within 36 hours, 60% of vaccinated mice survived this strain.

Preventative measure

Researchers say that if the new vaccine proves effective in future trials, it might be given to people prior to having surgeries...

[LucyT]

The increase in outbreaks of MRSA taking place outside hospitals means such infections may become a wider public health problem in the future.

It's already a problem outside of hospitals in the city where I'm living. Did you see the article a month or two ago stating MRSA has become a health problem outside of hospitals in twenty States? (Maybe it was twenty-three States.)

[Smokin' Joe]

an infectious disease ping...Thanks blam and LucyT!

[therut]

I'm a physician and this MRSA in everywhere now. Say two cases this week. Nothing uncommon about it now. Problem is if it becomes more resistent then we are in big trouble. My Dad died of complications of hospital acquired MRSA due to his Lymphoma making him so suseptiable to infection. Heartbreaking time to say the least. But also common cause of death in Lymphoma patients.

[blam]

"Nothing uncommon about it now. Problem is if it becomes more resistent then we are in big trouble."

I asked a doctor I know about the bird flu, he said, "MRSA is likely to kill us all before the bird flu."

[blam]

Hospital Superbug 'Out Of Control' As Child MRSA Cases Rise To 150 (UK)

[neverdem]

Vaccine assembly from surface proteins of Staphylococcus aureus abstract

[TigersEye]

bttt