Published May 2, 2013
A story on Live Science reports a team of UB researchers has found a protein in breast milk that may make surface infections by the resistant bacteria MRSA more sensitive to attack by antibiotics. The team added a protein complex, called HAMLET, purified from human milk, to aggressive strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and found that the bacteria were more responsive to antibiotics when they were used in combination with HAMLET. “It sensitizes the bacteria to the antibiotics that they used to be resistant to, so suddenly you can use the old [antibiotics] again,” said Anders Hakansson, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology. Stories on the research also appeared on news outlets around the world, including Voice of America, MSN News, Yahoo! News, RTT News, Inside Science and French Tribune.
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