Cockroaches could help fight MRSA, E coli

Cockroaches and locusts, which are widely reviled for their dirty image, could actually be more of a health benefit than a health risk, say scientists.

Scientists at Nottingham University have discovered that the insects contain powerful antibiotic molecules in their brains that could be used to develop new treatments against MRSA and E coli.

They have identified up to nine different molecules in the tissues of cockroaches and locusts that are toxic to bacteria and they hope will pave the way for new treatments for multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.
 
The tissues of the brain and nervous system of the insects were able to kill more than 90% of MRSA and E coli bacteria, without harming human cells.

"We hope that these molecules could eventually be developed into treatments for E coli and MRSA infections that are increasingly resistant to current drugs," the Telegraph quoted Simon Lee, a postgraduate researcher who is presenting his work at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham, as saying.

"Also, these new antibiotics could potentially provide alternatives to currently available drugs that may be effective but have serious and unwanted side effects," he added.