Divide and conquer no more (Image: David Scharf/Getty)

An antibody which causes MRSA bacteria to explode rather than divide brings hope for a universal vaccine.

MRSA is a highly antibiotic-resistant form of the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus which kills about 20,000 people in the US alone each year. Although a small number of antibiotics work against MRSA, the bacteria is constantly evolving resistant strains.

Edward Schwartz and colleagues at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York have identified an antibody which targets a protein called glucosaminidase (GMD) deep within MRSA that has a key role in breaking down the cell wall, enabling the bacterium to divide.


What’s more, the protein is genetically identical in all strains, so a vaccine that targets GMD could potentially be universal.

The team grew MRSA in culture alongside the new antibody. Bacteria exposed to the antibody either fused into long chains or exploded, significantly inhibiting bacterial growth.

The research was presented on Saturday at the Orthopaedic Research Society meeting in Long Beach, California.