CytoGenix discovers Staph killing sequence
oligonucleotide sequence that will kill strains of Methicillin
Resistant (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant (VRSA) Staphylococcus
aureus, which continue to cause a serious public health problem.
This achievement is all the more important as researchers look towards a new generation of antimicrobial compounds designed to defeat the bacteria's natural defences.
Infection by the new strains of resistant staph continues to be a threat particularly to vulnerable members of public such as the elderly and hospital patients. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infection in the United States, and are a common cause of pneumonia and bloodstream infections.
The Centre estimated as many as 100,000 persons are hospitalised each year with MRSA infections, although only a small proportion of these persons have disease onset occurring in the community.
Dr Malcolm Skolnick, CytoGenix president commented, "By using our proprietary genomic techniques, we can screen for gene targets and develop compounds in a matter of months rather than the years required for traditional drug discovery."
"Thus we have been able to readily isolate several lead drug candidates against these resistant bacteria strains," adds Dr Skolnick.
The emergence of MRSA and VRSA infections is an additional threat to the public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance. Efforts to control MRSA/VRSA infections can no longer depend solely on surveillance, infection control efforts, and judicious antibiotic prescribing practices within the hospital setting.
Proactive patient education, aggressive diagnostic efforts, and effective treatment for MRSA/VRSA infections by outpatient clinicians, will not only improve patient care, but also protect communities and hospitals from an increasingly prevalent pathogen.
