Lugdunin Case Study

Background to the Discovery

According to a study published in the journal Nature, there is a species of bacteria inside the human nose produces a substance capable of killing a range of bacteria, including the strain of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus known as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). 30% of people carry Staphylococcus aureus in their nostrils. As a result, scientists of University of Tübingen in Germany identified a substance called lugdunin which is effective for killing off them.[1]

Lugdunin was found to eradicate Staphylococcal aureus bacteria, which is carried naturally on the human body, include inside the nostrils.[2] Lugdunin is a byproduct of another bacterium called Staphylococcus lugdunensis that resides in

The scientists found that lugdunin has potent antimicrobial effects against a wide range of bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains such as MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus bacteria. The German researchers said lugdunin is not prone to cause S. aureus to develop resistance as they are not exactly sure how it works and its clinical development. It’s possible that lugdunin destroys the target of bacteria’s cell membranes, but that could also make it harder to develop as a drug for injection as of its potential for disrupting animal membranes.

aureus bacteria did not develop resistance to lugdunin, even though with the exposure in people and in repeated exposure in the laboratory. In mice, S. aureus causes lugdunin applied topically was able to either partially or totally eradicate skin infections. This antibiotic cannot be used to clear S. aureus colonies in people recently. The researchers trust that the drug might be able to be taken systemically as it did not exhibit any signs of toxicity on a sample of human serum. Furthermore, lugdunin is not very soluble in water because it might be difficult for body to absorb it. The researchers say the chemical structure might need to be modified to make it suitable for systemic use. The discovery involved in the development of new probiotics. However, since S. lugdunensis can itself cause opportunistic infections, it is an unsuitable candidate for use as a probiotic. Thus, the team suggests that the genes from this species could be introduced into a harmless bacterial strain instead.