SAN FRANCISCO - Tell a child to smear an open wound with germs, and she'll think you tease. But some scientists say this approach could keep away the pus. The application of a harmless bacterium or products to surgical implants counteracts infections, the researchers reported here 12 December at the American Society for Cell Biology meeting. This is the first time anyone has used bacteria so, other researchers say, and technology can help prevent serious wound infections in people a day
Infections Staphylococcus aureus -. Better known as "staph" - can lead to complications and even death in surgical patients. The bug has become even more threatening in recent years because many strains have developed resistance to antibiotics.
But the conventional antibiotics may not be the only means to crush staph. A team of researchers led by biochemist and microbiologist Jeffrey Howard Gregor Reid of the University of Western Ontario knew earlier research that a protein of Lactobacillus - a microbe that lives peacefully among humans - maintains the staphylococcal binding to Teflon and glass. This protein also binds to a molecule that sticks staphylococcal when it invades humans. The researchers estimated that Lactobacillus protein could successfully compete with staph in animal tissues as well.
To find out, the team placed a small piece of silicone under the skin of rats to mimic a surgical implant, and then added S. aureus to the wound. As expected, developed serious infections. When the researchers added staph, most live Lactobacillus , however, none of nine animals had an infection, compared to five of the nine animals in the control group. Secreted protein also protected the animals against infection, although somewhat more modestly.
The idea of using Lactobacillus or its products to prevent staph infections "is exciting and very strong," says microbiologist William Costerton of Montana State University in Bozeman. Although that people opposed bacteria against another for medical purposes before - especially in the intestinal tract and genito -. the implementation of the strategy on wounds is "unique", he said "There are many bacteria around, and you can think of an injury as a kind of ecological battlefield. "- One in which the good germs can beat the bad
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