Scientists hope maggots can help produce an antibiotic that can tackle strains of the MRSA superbug.
The researchers at Swansea University are developing the antibiotic from maggot secretions from the common green bottle fly.
They hope to develop it into an injection, pill or ointment to tackle 12 strains of MRSA, as well as as well as E.coli and C.difficile.
The research also involved scientists at universities in Belgium.
The antibiotic has been named Seraticin and scientists have studied how it can prevent infection.
It takes around 20 maggots to make one drop of the antibiotic in its purified form.
Scientists now hope to complete the identification of the compound and find a way to synthesise it, before it can be tested on human cells and trialled to determine its medical effectiveness.
Using live maggots on infected wounds is a well established method of tackling infections.
Read more...
The researchers at Swansea University are developing the antibiotic from maggot secretions from the common green bottle fly.
They hope to develop it into an injection, pill or ointment to tackle 12 strains of MRSA, as well as as well as E.coli and C.difficile.
The research also involved scientists at universities in Belgium.
The antibiotic has been named Seraticin and scientists have studied how it can prevent infection.
It takes around 20 maggots to make one drop of the antibiotic in its purified form.
Scientists now hope to complete the identification of the compound and find a way to synthesise it, before it can be tested on human cells and trialled to determine its medical effectiveness.
Using live maggots on infected wounds is a well established method of tackling infections.
Read more...
topics:
News,
WTF,
Earth and Science,
Research,
MRSA,
Antibiotics,
maggots,
E.coli
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- unclepete
- added this
- added August 06, 2008
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Maybe they could use the maggots from that patient's slipper.
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Hmmm...maggots eating flesh has a positive effect now...awesome!!!!
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Good old maggots (though that is a gross picture) - though surely new vaccines would still have to be formulated every time the superbug survives an onslaught and evolves immunity?
they used to eat them with cheese you know. maggots, not superbugs.
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I had MRSA Was ill for 2 years. Luckily I finally got better...no maggots but tons of antibiotics.
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