Norgestimate inhibits staphylococcal biofilm formation and resensitizes methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus to β-lactam antibiotics

• Main Authors: Yutaka Yoshii, Ken-ichi Okuda, Satomi Yamada, Mari Nagakura, Shinya Sugimoto, Tetsuo Nagano, Takayoshi Okabe, Hirotatsu Kojima, Takeo Iwamoto, Kazuyoshi Kuwano, Yoshimitsu Mizunoe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017-07-01
• Series: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-017-0026-1

Biofilm formation: Benefits of selective inhibition A synthetic molecule related to the hormone progesterone might keep medical devices free of biofilms without promoting antibiotic resistance. Implanted devices that have become contaminated with biofilms generally must be surgically removed prior to treating the underlying infection with antibiotics. Ken-ichi Okuda and colleagues at The Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, with co-workers elsewhere in Japan, found that the synthetic progesterone analog norgestimate inhibits biofilm formation without inhibiting bacterial growth. They regard this selective effect on biofilm formation as a significant advantage, as it reduces the risk of inducing resistance in the targeted bacteria. They demonstrated the effect using staphylococcal bacteria, including the problematic and highly dangerous methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The research also indicated that norgestimate can resensitize MRSA bacteria to some of the antibiotics they are resistant to.