The Dirt on New Antibiotic in Fight against MRSA

Interestingly enough the bacteria from which this new antibiotic has been developed from is found in soil. That’s the dirt, and it isn't a dirty secret either. Traditionally bacteria from soil has resisted growing in lab settings until scientists came up with something called an iChip that allows soil to seep in giving the bacteria the sort of environment in which it naturally likes to reproduce, basically tricking the bacteria into growing in a lab setting. Of all the bacteria from soil grown this way there is one standout. It’s called teixobactin and it kills MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, in mice. Teixobactin also killed a type of drug-resistant tuberculosis. This new antibiotic is still two years away from trials in humans and often times antibiotics that work in mice fail to work for us. If teixobactin shows promise in the fight against superbugs like MRSA in humans there’s an additional five years to consider before the drug could go on the market. But surely the demise of superbugs like MRSA is on the horizon as scientists continue to seek to develop new medicines for the future. Maybe discovering important antibiotic bacteria is the upside to consider when you find your child (or grandchild) playing in the dirt.