Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.

Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

First clues to MCR-1 function
pig
The spread of MCR-1 has been linked to agricultural use of colistin.

Scientists offer insights into colistin resistance

A team of international scientists has provided the first clues to understanding how the MCR-1 gene protects bacteria from colistin, a ‘last resort’ antibiotic that is used to treat bacterial infections that do not respond to other treatments.

Last year members of the same team identified MCR-1 as the first colistin-resistance gene that could be passed between bacteria, allowing resistance to spread rapidly.

Since then it has been found in common bacteria, including E. coli, in China, the US and across Europe in farm animals and, more recently, human patients.

The spread of MCR-1 has been linked to agricultural use of colistin and as a result, the Chinese government has now banned the use of colistin in animal feed.

Writing in Scientific Reports, researchers say colistin works by binding to and disrupting the surface of bacteria. But bacteria carrying the MCR-1 gene make a protein that changes the bacterial surface, to reduce the drug’s ability to bind to it.

This is the first indication of how MCR-1 behaves within the bacterial cell and will help to inform attempts to block MCR-1 function and restore colistin’s effectiveness against bacteria carrying the gene.

Co author Professor Adrian Mulholland, who is based at the University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry, said: “The importance of understanding colistin resistance can hardly be overstated: it is rapidly emerging threat to public health.

“Our results illuminate the structural and (for the first time) mechanistic basis of transferable colistin resistance conferred by mcr-1, thanks to the combination of biological, chemical and computational expertise brought to bear on this project.

“We are confident that our findings will drive efforts to understand mcr-1-mediated resistance and ultimately help identify routes towards overcoming MCR-1 activity in harmful bacteria.”

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.