WASHINGTON: Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine using bacteria found in healthy cats to successfully treat skin infections in mice.
These bacteria can function as a basis for new therapy to severe skin infections in humans, dogs and cats.
This study, published in the journal Elife led by Richard L.
Gallo, MD, PhD, Professor Dear and Chair of the Dermatology Department at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, whose team specializes in using bacteria and their products to treat diseases – – known approach as “bacteriotherapy.” The skin is colonized by hundreds of species of bacteria that play an important role in skin health, immunity, and battle infections.
All species need to maintain a diverse balance of healthy skin bacteria to combat potential pathogens.
“Our health really depends on this ‘good’ bacteria.
They rely on our skin that is healthy to live, and in return, some of them protect us from ‘bad’ bacteria.
But if we are sick, the ‘bad’ bacteria can use it defense We are weakening and cause infections, “said Gallo.
This is the case with staphylococcus pseudintermedius resistant metismilin (MRSP), bacteria commonly found in pets that become infections when animals are sick or injured.
MRSP is a pathogen that appears that can jump between species and cause severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema.
This infection is common in dogs and cats, and can also occur in humans, although the level of human infection varies throughout the world.
As the name suggests, MRSP is resistant to general antibiotics and is difficult to treat in clinical and veterinary settings.
To overcome this, the researchers first filtered the bacterial library that usually lived in dogs and cats and planted it before MRSP.
From here, they identified a cat bacterial strain called Staphylococcus Felis (S.
Felis) which was very good inhibiting the growth of MRSP.
They found that special strains S.
Felis naturally produced several antibiotics that killed MRSP by disrupting the cell wall and increased toxic free radical production.
“The potential of this species is extreme.
It is very capable of killing pathogens, partly because they attack them from many sides – strategies known as ‘polifarmasi.’ This makes it very interesting as therapeutic, “said Gallo.
Bacteria can easily develop resistance to single antibiotics.
To overcome this, S.
Felis has four genes that code for four different antimicrobial peptides.
Each of these antibiotics is able to kill MRSP itself, but by working together, they make it more difficult for bacteria to fight back.
After determining how S.
Felis kills MRSP, the next step is to see if it can work as therapy in living animals.
The team exposes mice to the most common form of pathogens and then adds S.
Felis bacteria or bacterial extract to the same site.
The skin shows a reduction in scaling and redness after treatment, compared to animals that have no maintenance.
There is also MRSP bacteria that deserve less that are left on the skin after treatment with S.
Felis.
The next step includes a plan for clinical trials to confirm whether S.
Felis can be used to treat MRSP infections in dogs.
Bacteriotherapy like this can be sent through topical spray, cream or gel containing live bacteria or pure extracts of antimicrobial peptides.
While these products are in development, what should be the owner of a pet while? “Don’t stop washing your pet to keep this ‘good’ bacteria on them.
The skin has evolved to protect ‘good’ bacteria, so that soap and detergent don’t usually wash away people,” Gallo said.
According to the study, it might even happen that living with healthy cats provides humans with protection against MRSP, so this might be an argument to support pet ownership.