Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Cockroaches may really be superbugs
Monday, 6 September 2010
Cockroaches have long been regarded as an unwanted pest but in fact they could hold the secret to treating the most resilient of superbugs, scientists have said.
Tests have found tissue from the brains and nervous systems of the insects can kill off more than 90% of MRSA and E.coli infections without harming human cells.
Until now, cockroaches have been seen as a health hazard, to be found in dank and dingy hotels. But Simon Lee, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Nottingham, says they hold powerful antibiotic properties after discovering nine different molecules in their tissues which are toxic to bacteria.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/b...e-superbugs-14935107.html?r=RSS#ixzz0yl4ksRY2
Monday, 6 September 2010
Cockroaches have long been regarded as an unwanted pest but in fact they could hold the secret to treating the most resilient of superbugs, scientists have said.
Tests have found tissue from the brains and nervous systems of the insects can kill off more than 90% of MRSA and E.coli infections without harming human cells.
Until now, cockroaches have been seen as a health hazard, to be found in dank and dingy hotels. But Simon Lee, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Nottingham, says they hold powerful antibiotic properties after discovering nine different molecules in their tissues which are toxic to bacteria.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/b...e-superbugs-14935107.html?r=RSS#ixzz0yl4ksRY2