ScienceDaily has recently reported on a study by Dartmouth Engineering faculty to more effectively target Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). Finding an effective treatment for MRSA is considered a priority by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as it is the deadliest drug-resistant pathogen in the United States. The research team has since developed a promising lysin-based antibacterial agent that will not cause hypersensitivity reactions from the immune system and allows for repeated dosing in persistent cases.
Lysins are enzymes naturally produced by microbes that have shown promise in treating both drug-resistant and drug-vulnerable S. aureus infections by potentially suppressing new resistance phenotypes developed by bacteria. While lysins are one of the most promising next-generation antibiotics, they can cause a strong antibody reaction from the immune system leading to life-threatening reactions. However, lead author, Karl Grisworld explains that their newly engineered treatment, named F12 is largely safe for the immune system thanks to a “T cell epitope deletion.”
This antimicrobial agent is the first of its kind and has resulted positively as treatment in rabbits and mice with partially-humanized immune systems. “This is the first report of a translation-ready deimmunized lysin, and F12 has serious, bonafide clinical potential,” said Griswold. He believes that the agent could be ready for human clinical trials as soon as 2023.
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