New Antibiotic Found In Human Nose Could Fight Against Superbugs

German scientists discovered an antibiotic that is produced by a type of staph bacteria, which can be found in about 10 percent of human noses. This antibiotic could fight against superbugs and kill dangerous skin infections.

The study was published in Nature. It involved 90 participants wherein the scientists analyzed the nasal bacteria in them. This revealed a strain of bacterium called Staphylococcus lugdunensis. The scientists discovered that the bacterium generated antibiotic compound. They succeeded in synthesizing it in the laboratory.

The researchers named it lugdunin, which can prevent S.aureus from growing. They modeled it in mice. They applied it to the skin of the mice with S.aureus. They found that it reduced or removed the infection. According to scientists, it was also effective against antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA.

Andreas Peschel, a professor at the University of Tubingen in Germany explained that the human body could be a source of many new antibiotics. The university has filed for a patent on the new antibiotic, according to USA Today. Peschel added that they have found a new concept of finding antibiotics. They have preliminary evidence at least in the nose that there is a rich source of many others. She is certain that they will find new drugs there.

Jack Gilbert, a microbial ecologist at the University of Chicago in Illinois said that this is extremely exciting as it delivers evidence that a microbial war is ongoing in the human body. He further said that the study shows that certain organisms can be leveraged to produce novel drugs that could add to the human arsenal of weapons against drug-resistant (microbes), as noted by Science Mag.

Meanwhile, Kjersti Aagaard, an associate professor at Baylor College of medicine in Houston said that the antibiotic discovery is a wonderful observation that speaks to the power of innovation and sound scientific insights. He further said that when they regard the human body, as well as the world around, as an elegant ecosystem, there will be endless wonders to be found at our fingertips or the tip of the human nose.