An MRSA vaccine could be developed using antibodies that target the superbug’s ability to replicate, US scientists have revealed.
The antibodies break the protein “zipper” that causes the bug’s protective cell wall to open during cell division and prevent it from closing after division is complete, which can be fatal for the bacteria.
If developed, a vaccine containing the antibodies could be administered to hospital patients undergoing surgery. Surgical patients are most at risk from the bacterium, which causes around 800 deaths a year in England and Wales.
MRSA
Dr Regis O’Keefe, chief of orthopaedics at New York’s University of Rochester Medical Centre, said: “We are very excited about our vaccine research. It will have a phenomenal impact on individuals locally and across the country if we are successful.”
The new research was presented at the US Orthopaedic Research Society’s annual meeting in Long Beach, California.
Professor Edward Schwartz, who led the scientists, said: “A vaccine in humans would probably not be a foolproof approach to preventing infection 100% of the time. However, even if we could reduce the risk of MRSA by 35%, that would be an enormous improvement in the field.”
The researchers are looking for antibodies with the best ability to bind to glucosaminidase. This work is being led by scientists at Codevax LLC, a company created by the University of Rochester.
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An antibody which causes MRSA bacteria to explode rather than divide brings hope for a universal vaccine.
MRSA is a highly antibiotic-resistant form of the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus which kills about 20,000 people in the US alone each year. Although a small number of antibiotics work against MRSA, the bacteria is constantly evolving resistant strains.
Edward Schwartz and colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York have identified an antibody which targets a protein called glucosaminidase (GMD) deep within MRSA that has a key role in breaking down the cell wall, enabling the bacterium to divide.
What’s more, the protein is genetically identical in all strains, so a vaccine that targets GMD could potentially be universal.
The team grew MRSA in culture alongside the new antibody. Bacteria exposed to the antibody either fused into long chains or exploded, significantly inhibiting bacterial growth.
The research was presented on Saturday at the Orthopaedic Research Society meeting in Long Beach, California.