Tag Archive for 'Staphylococcus'

Scratching synergizes with FcεRI mast cell activation to drive allergic skin inflammation. Image credit: Liu et al., doi: 10.1126/science.adn9390.

Scratching an Itch Promotes Allergic Inflammation, Study Shows

Jan 31, 2025 by News Staff

Itch is a dominant symptom in dermatitis (eczema), and scratching promotes cutaneous inflammation, thereby worsening disease. However, the mechanisms through...

Itch is an unpleasant sensation that evokes a desire to scratch. The skin barrier is constantly exposed to microbes and their products. However, the role of microbes in itch generation is unknown. Deng et al. show that Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial pathogen associated with itchy skin diseases, directly activates pruriceptor sensory neurons to drive itch. Image credit: Deng et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.019.

Common Skin Bacterium Can Cause Itch and Scratch-Induced Skin Damage, Study Says

Nov 23, 2023 by News Staff

New research by Harvard Medical School scientists shows that a common skin bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus causes itch by instigating a molecular...

Australian honeypot ants (Camponotus inflatus) are found throughout the central desert region of Australia. Image credit: Danny Ulrich.

Honey from Australian Honeypot Ants Has Unique Antimicrobial Properties

Jul 26, 2023 by Natali Anderson

Honey produced by the Australian honeypot ant (Camponotus inflatus) is valued nutritionally and medicinally by Indigenous peoples. In a new study, scientists...

This SEM image depicts a clump of yellow-colored, spheroid shaped Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that were enmeshed in a blue-colored, filamentous extracellular matrix, which normally binds cells together within the body’s various tissue types. Image credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Appeared in Hedgehogs in Pre-Antibiotic Era, Study Shows

Jan 5, 2022 by News Staff

The discovery of antibiotics more than 80 years ago has led to considerable improvements in human and animal health. Although antibiotic resistance in...

The copper magnified 500,000 times under a scanning electron microscope shows its tiny nano-scale pores. Image credit: RMIT University.

Novel Copper Surface Shows Exceptional Bactericidal Efficacy

Dec 14, 2021 by News Staff

A team of materials scientists from RMIT University and CSIRO has designed and fabricated a micro-nano copper structure and demonstrated its exceptional...

To identify candidates for a new bacteriotherapy against skin infection, O’Neill et al. screened various bacteria from dogs and cats and co-cultured them with Staphylococcus felis C4 in liquid and agar antimicrobial assays. Image credit: O’Neill et al., doi: 10.7554/eLife.66793.

Feline Antimicrobial Bacterium May Help Fight Difficult-to-Treat Animal and Human Skin Infections

Oct 20, 2021 by News Staff

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is an important emerging zoonotic pathogen that causes severe skin infections. In new research,...

Overview of bacterial biotransformation of the odorless physiological malodor precursor Cys-Gly-3M3SH, which is secreted onto the surface of skin by underarm apocrine glands, subcutaneously located in the hypodermis. In Staphylococcus hominis, Cys-Gly-3M3SH is actively transported by the di-/tri-peptide transporter (DtpT) along with the movement of protons (1). Once inside the cell the terminal glycine is cleaved by a dipeptidase (PepA) to release Cys-3M3SH (2), which is metabolized by a C-S β-lyase liberating volatile 3M3SH (3), which diffuses or is exported out of the cell (4). The catabolism of Cys-Gly-3M3SH provides carbon and nitrogen as nutritional incentive in the form of glycine, ammonia and pyruvate. Image credit: Rudden et al, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-68860-z.

Key Enzyme behind Human Underarm Malodor Identified

Jul 28, 2020 by Enrico de Lazaro

A team of researchers from the University of York, the University of St Andrews and Unilever R&D has discovered a unique enzyme responsible for the...

Hospital insects present a potential to contribute to persistence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic bacteria in the hospital environment. Image credit: Virvoreanu Laurentiu.

Hospital Insects Harbor Potentially Harmful Bacteria, Finds New Study

Jun 28, 2019 by News Staff

In a new study published this month in the Journal of Medical Entomology, researchers from Aston University collected and analyzed 19,937 flying insects...