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Updated: Jul 18, 2025

A Method to Assess Bacteriocin Effects on the Gut Microbiota of Mice
Published on: July 25, 2017
Evaluating the Translational Potential of Bacteriocins as an Alternative Treatment for Staphylococcus aureus
Lauren R Heinzinger1, Aaron R Pugh1, Julie A Wagner1
1Pathogen Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Abstract:
Antibiotic resistance remains a global threat to human and animal health. Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that causes minor to life-threatening infections. The widespread use of antibiotics in the clinical, veterinary, and agricultural setting combined with the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus strains makes it abundantly clear that alternatives to antibiotics are urgently needed. Bacteriocins represent one potential alternative therapeutic. They are antimicrobial peptides that are produced by bacteria that are generally nontoxic and have a relatively narrow target spectrum, and they leave many commensals and most mammalian cells unperturbed. Multiple studies involving bacteriocins (e.g., nisin, epidermicin, mersacidin, and lysostaphin) have demonstrated their efficacy at eliminating or treating a wide variety of S. aureus infections in animal models. This review provides a comprehensive and updated evaluation of animal studies involving bacteriocins and highlights their translational potential. The strengths and limitations associated with bacteriocin treatments compared with traditional antibiotic therapies are evaluated, and the challenges that are involved with implementing novel therapeutics are discussed.
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