The human nose is an astonishing tool, not content with giving us one of our senses scientists are also starting to learn more about its other properties, such as lifesaver.
You see the nose can actually help defend the body against some of the most deadly bacteria around.
Staphylococcus aureus for example is a well-documented lodger within the human body. Having this bacteria can result in a far greater risk for even more dangerous MRSA infections that could be life-threatening.
Well thankfully for us, we have our very own bacteria, the Corynebacterium species which inhibits the virulence of S. aureus actually preventing us from getting sick, even if they’re already inside the nose.
The study, carried out by researchers from the Forsyth Institute and Texas Tech University has revealed that our nose contains a carefully balanced ecosystem of bacteria which effectively cancel each other out.
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Senior-author Katherine P. Lemon MD, PhD explains that this discovery could lead to the development of better treatments for MRSA.
“Our research helps set the stage for the development of small molecules and, potentially, probiotic therapies for promoting health by actively managing nasal microbiome composition,”
MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacterias have started to become very serious concern for the medical community.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that MRSA killed 10,000 annually between 2005 and 2011.
The hope is that by better understanding this ‘helpful’ bacteria that’s currently living in our noses we can create stronger, more powerful treatments for the harmful bacteria that are evolving quicker than we can find antibiotics to kill them.
The study seemingly confirms a previous piece of research which was carried out by the University of Tubingen in Germany.