PMC:5711939 / 1257-2252 JSONTXT

{"target":"http://pubannotation.org/docs/sourcedb/PMC/sourceid/5711939","sourcedb":"PMC","sourceid":"5711939","source_url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/5711939","text":"Anti-microbial molecules made by microbes in the gut of ruminant animals could become new weapons against antibiotic-resistant infections. An international team of researchers led by Sharon Huws at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, identified three anti-microbial peptides in the rumen of animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. The peptides—short proteins—were highly active in laboratory trials against several clinically important drug-resistant infections. These included methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a notorious cause of life-threatening infections, especially in patients with weakened immunity. There is growing interest in using peptides as alternatives to existing antibiotics. The findings, initiated by examining a ‘library’ of molecular data, suggest that the rumen is an under-explored resource that may harbor many medically useful antimicrobials. The possibilities should be investigated further, with promising molecules being tested in clinical conditions.","tracks":[]}