Tissue from the brains and nervous systems of cockroaches and locusts may be the key to curing antibiotic resistant superbugs.
Disgusting, nauseating, revolting, nasty, repulsive and unsanitary, are all terms that might be used to describe a common household cockroach; however, new research by experts at The University of Nottingham shows that this unpleasant little insect may hold the key to creating a new line of treatment for bacterial infections that are resistant to traditionally used antibiotics.
Tissue from Cockroaches Kills
Bacterial Superbugs - source
New research indicates cockroaches may be more helpful than harmful
Cockroaches have been scorned and hated by millions of people all over the world, due to their unsanitary and disgusting habit of walking around on kitchen countertops, popping out of supposedly sealed food containers, and generally making a household nuisance of themselves. However, researchers have identified up to nine different molecules, located in the brain and nervous system tissues of both cockroaches and locusts, which are able to successfully kill off harmful bacteria.
What good is cockroach tissue that can kill bacteria?
Researchers have determined that tissue, extracted from locusts and cockroaches, is able to effectively destroy over 90% of MRSA and pathogenic Escherichia coli, without harming any human cells.
This amazing discovery could lead to new treatment options for dangerous and often deadly bacterial superbugs, like Pseudomonas, Burkholderia and Acinetobacter, which are often immune to the effects of commonly used antibiotics. Superbugs can cause untreatable bacterial infections, making them a major threat in the battle against life-threatening bacterial diseases.
Simon Lee, a postgraduate researcher, said, “We hope that these molecules could eventually be developed into treatments for E. coli and MRSA infections that are increasingly resistant to current drugs. These new antibiotics could potentially provide alternatives to currently available drugs that may be effective, but have serious and unwanted side effects.”
Cockroaches: Sending a nuisance bug to kill a superbug
Researchers have found a new place to harvest molecules for use in developing treatments for several potentially deadly bacterial superbugs. One researcher, Simon Lee, explains why he wasn’t surprised at the findings. “Insects often live in unsanitary and unhygienic environments where they encounter many different types of bacteria. It is therefore logical that they have developed ways of protecting themselves against micro-organisms.”
It would seem that even some of the most repulsive creatures on Earth, may have a useful and even life-saving purpose in modern medicine.
Sources:
“Cockroach brains could be rich stores of new antibiotics” The University of Nottingham
Bill Hendrick, “Cockroach Brains vs. MRSA”, WebMD