Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is an infection that has wreaked
havoc in hospitals and nursing homes. Due to its resistance to antibiotics and
antivirals, it’s also become a problem in gyms and schools as well. Researchers
at the University of South of Florida may have an answer however. A sponge that
is found near Palmer Station in Antarctica, the dendrite membranosa, was
synthesized by USF scientists. An extract from it, darwinolide, could be
effective against MRSA.
The problem with MRSA resistance is that it
forms a biofilm over tissue that drugs cannot penetrate. The extract from the
sponge found in the Arctic was able to break down this biofilm in 98% of the
cells after being exposed to it. Getting through this barrier is a key development
in being able to kill the bacteria in MRSA and prevent the devastating damage
it does.
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle
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