Staphylococcus aureus causes infections ranging from minor skin abscesses to life-threatening conditions, including pneumonia, meningitis, bone and joint infections (arthritis) and infections of the heart and bloodstream (endocarditis, septicemia, and toxic shock syndrome). Staph. infections are often associated with commonly used implanted medical devices, such as prostheses, catheters and artificial heart valves. Such infections can become tenacious because they are increasingly resistant to antibiotics, rendering them potent causes of illness and death.
"It is critical to find new alternative therapies to antibiotics," said Naomi Balaban, PhD, an author of the study and assistant professor at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. "Our findings are significant because about 2 million hospital patients acquire infections each year in the US, including infections associated with implanted medical devices. Of those hospital-acquired infections, 500,000 are caused by Staphylococci, resulting in an annual death rate of approximately 90,000 patients."
Noting, there are currently no new effective treatment plans on the market, Giorgio Dell'Acqua, PhD, an author of the study and scientist from BalaPharm International, said: "Prevention rather than treatment is crucial in combating staph. infections, and we suggest that RIP may be used to coat medical devices to prevent bacterial coloni-zation and consequent infection."
RIP has been shown to inhibit any strain or species of staphylococci so far tested, including antibiotic-resistant strains, and no resistance to RIP has so far been observed. RIP has also been shown to be synergistic with antibiotics, so it can be used in combination therapy.
RIP prevents the bacteria from being virulent by inhibiting a target protein (TRAP). All rats included in the group with RIP-soaked grafts and also systemically administered RIP showed no evidence of graft infection, indicating 100 percent protection. In addition, none of the animals had clinical evidence of drug-related adverse effects.
This is the first breakthrough in preventing staph-induced infections since 1998, when Balaban discovered that a critical concentration of a key protein dubbed RAP (RNAIII activating protein) triggers the production of toxins by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria through a complicated cell-to-cell communications process. Taking this knowledge to the next level, Balaban and her colleagues sought to determine if preventing such cellular communication would preclude the bacteria from becoming virulent and releasing large quantities of infection-causing toxins. The discovery of RIP has done that. "We believe we can give humans RIP with no side effects, and we intend to conduct human clinical trials next," Dell'Acqua said.
The Department of General Surgery and the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Public Health at the University of Ancona, Italy, also participated in this study, which was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education and the American National Institute of Health (NIH).
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Background
Founded in 1978 in North Grafton, Mass., Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine is New England's only veterinary school. It is esteemed for its pioneering academic programs, top notch clinical care services, and groundbreaking research that benefits animal, human, and environmental health.
Renowned for innovation and expertise in numerous areas of animal health, clinicians in the school's three hospitals rank among the finest in the world, treating some 28,000 patients per year. Tufts' Foster Hospital for Small Animals has the nation's largest residency-training program in veterinary emergency and critical care. In addition, Tufts' Wildlife Clinic has been designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the official New England treatment center for rare and endangered species.
Fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the school is also esteemed for its academic centers and signature programs that impact society and the practice of veterinary medicine. Tufts annually enrolls over 300 students (80 students per academic class) in its four-year program that leads to a doctor of veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) degree. The school is a pioneer in veterinary ethics and values and offers the world's only graduate degree (M.S.) in the field of human/animal relationships and related public policies. Tufts University was the first institution of higher education to offer a four-year, combined doctor of veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) and master of public health (M.P.H.) degree. In 2004, Tufts Veterinary School began offering two new programs leading to master of science (M.S.) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in comparative biomedical science.
Journal
The Journal of Infectious Diseases