Cockroach Brains Made Antibiotics

Cockroach Brains Made Antibiotics – Could cockroach brains potentially save lives? They may be a source of new antibiotics that are capable of killing deadly drug resistant bacteria, according to research that suggests that the pests might be good for something after all. Cockroaches have a defensive mechanism that works against bacteria that comes from living in less-than-ideal conditions. Recent research has shown that tissues from the brains and nervous systems of the roaches are able to kill more than 90 percent of MRSA and E. Coli, and do not damage the human cells.

Because the cockroaches live in unsanitary conditions, they have developed certain ways of dealing with the bacteria that they live around. MRSA, also known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a hospital acquired infection that sickens nearly 100,000 people every year, and kills as many as 15,000 in the United States.


“It is logical that they have developed ways of protecting themselves against micro-organisms.,” said Simon Lee, a postgraduate researches who led the study.
So now the question becomes; could cockroaches help fight E-Coli and other bacteria? The fact that they do no damage to human cells is encouraging, and shows that they may have some use in the medical field in the near future. Most of the infections are commonly found in soil and water. Because cockroaches are such common insects that are easily kept alive, we may see more usage of them in the medical field in the future.

Category: Health News