Irish scientists hope discovery of how MRSA bug resists antibiotics could lead to new treatments

Dr Rebecca Corrigan, assistant professor at UCD School of Medicine said the discovery was 'important'.

Irish scientists have helped discover how MRSA resists antibiotics are raising hopes for new treatments for the highly infectious and potentially deadly superbug.

MRSA causes more than 120,000 deaths per year globally and resistance to antibiotics is seen as one of the biggest threats to health in Ireland and around the world.

Now research from University College Dublin and the University of Sheffield has discovered how MRSA can grow and divide. This allows it to resist antibiotics. There are no vaccines against MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus). 

Dr Rebecca Corrigan, assistant professor at UCD School of Medicine is one of the paper's authors.

“This discovery is important because it helps us to understand how bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment,” she said.

“It is only through understanding this that we can develop new ways to treat MRSA infections in our efforts to tackle the antimicrobial resistance crisis.” 

The team has found a previously unknown method used by MRSA to survive being targeted by antibiotics.

The MRSA bacteria has mesh-like cell walls around them which use enzymes to knit together. These enzymes are what penicillin or methicillin antibiotics can usually target.

While it was already known MRSA had developed a new cell wall enzyme which was resistant to antibiotics, it had not been known until now that MRSA also has a second defence.

Their study shows MRSA has also evolved an alternative division mechanism that allows it to replicate in the presence of antibiotics. It means researchers can now work on developing products to block that strategy.

Professor Simon Foster of University of Sheffield School of Biosciences described the findings are “very exciting” for medicine.

“It has not only uncovered a new mechanism for MRSA that was hiding in plain sight, but also the ability of the bacteria to divide in an alternative way,” he said.

“These findings have important ramifications for the development of new antibiotics, but also for understanding the fundamental principles that underpin bacterial growth and division. This will provide new ways to tackle this dangerous infectious organism.” 

The HSE said MRSA was a common bug. Patients who had major surgery, a transplant or are undergoing cancer treatment are more at risk.

“Antibiotic resistance means that commonly used antibiotics are becoming less effective. This means that many infections are becoming more difficult to treat,” it said.

The health authority urges people to only take antibiotics when prescribed and to avoid asking for antibiotics against viruses such as cold and flu.