A hope for ineffective antibiotics to return to treatment: investigating the anti-biofilm potential of melittin alone and in combination with penicillin and oxacillin against multidrug resistant-MRSA and -VRSA.

Journal: Frontiers in microbiology
Published Date:

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The emergence and rapid spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial strains, such as methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant (VRSA), have posed a significant challenge to the medical community due to their ability to form biofilm and develop resistance to common antibiotics. Traditional antibiotics that were once effective in treating bacterial infections are now becoming increasingly ineffective, leading to severe consequences for patient outcomes. This concerning situation has called for urgent research to explore alternative treatment strategies. Recent studies have shown that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold promise as effective agents against biofilm-associated drug-resistant infections as well as to enhance the efficacy of conventional antibiotics. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of melittin AMP, both alone and in combination with penicillin and oxacillin, against biofilm-forming MDR-MRSA and -VRSA.

Authors

  • Saba Jalalifar
    Microbial Biotechnology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Shabnam Razavi
    Microbial Biotechnology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Rasoul Mirzaei
    Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
  • Gholamreza Irajian
    Microbial Biotechnology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
  • Kamran Pooshang Bagheri
    Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Keywords

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