Superbug vaccine 'shows promise'

Link: Superbug vaccine 'shows promise'

     A vaccine to guard against hospital superbug MRSA is a step closer, according to scientists. US researchers have developed a vaccine that protected mice from four potentially deadly strains of MRSA. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team said the study could lead to a human vaccine, though more work was needed. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus often strikes in hospitals where patients' immune systems are weak. It is difficult to fight because it has developed a resistance to certain antibiotics. The team looked for a vaccine using a technique called 'reverse vaccinology', which builds on recent genetics advances. It involved sifting through the genome of Staphylococcus aureus to hunt for proteins on the microbe that might spark the body's immune system into action, producing protection against the bacteria. The team identified four proteins that prompted a strong immune response, making them good targets for vaccines.