RCSI Research Day: New insights into bone disease caused by MRSA

By Lloyd Mudiwa. New insights into bone disease caused by multi-resistant bacteria could help prevent the problem, which is set to increase with huge predicted growth in hip and knee replacements. Bone disease or osteomyelitis occurs due to an infection following open wound bone fractures, bone surgery or joint replacement — 174 per cent and 623 per cent, respectively. RCSI researchers found that a surface molecule on bacteria instructs bone cells to stop growing and die. Blocking a specific protein expressed on bacteria could be a way of treating or even preventing bone infections that are resistant to antibiotics, such…