Staphylococcus aureus has the potential to develop sturdy vancomycin resistance, in line with a examine printed August 28, 2024, within the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Samuel Blechman and Erik Wright from the College of Pittsburgh, USA.
Regardless of a long time of widespread remedy with the antibiotic vancomycin, vancomycin resistance among the many bacterium S. aureus is extraordinarily unusual — solely 16 such circumstances have reported within the U.S. to this point. Vancomycin resistance mutations allow micro organism to develop within the presence of vancomycin, however they achieve this at a price. Vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) strains develop extra slowly and can usually lose their resistance mutations if vancomycin will not be current. The rationale behind vancomycin’s sturdiness and the potential for VRSA strains to additional adapt haven’t been adequately explored.
On this examine, researchers took 4 VRSA strains and grew them within the presence and absence of vancomycin to see how the strains would evolve. They discovered that strains grown within the presence of vancomycin developed extra mutations within the ddl gene, which has beforehand been related to vancomycin dependence. These mutations enabled VRSA strains to develop sooner when vancomycin was current. In contrast to the unique strains, which rapidly misplaced vancomycin resistance, the developed strains maintained resistance via a number of generations, even when vancomycin was now not current.
The examine reveals that sturdiness of vancomycin susceptibility to this point shouldn’t be taken without any consideration. The trade-off that always comes with vancomycin resistance will be overcome if the micro organism is allowed to develop within the presence of vancomycin. As antibiotic resistance continues to develop as a public well being risk, research like this underscores the significance of growing new antibiotics.
The authors add: “The superbug MRSA has been held off by the antibiotic vancomycin for many years. A brand new examine reveals we won’t be able to rely on vancomycin endlessly.”
