Biofunction and clinical potential of extracellular vesicles from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Microbiol Res. 2023 Jan:266:127238. doi: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127238. Epub 2022 Oct 17.

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a globally widespread pathogen that is highly resistant to antibiotics, can lead to serious infection, and has fairly limited treatment options. Over decades, extracellular vesicles (EVs) from MRSA have received increasing attention, and their roles in the pathogenesis of MRSA have been well studied. The secretion process of MRSA EVs is complex and regulated by various factors. During this process, EVs carry a variety of bioactive molecules including enzymes, lipoproteins, toxins, DNA, and RNA, which play important roles in antibiotic resistance, cytotoxicity, and immune escape. Biological enzymes and drug resistance genes are important factors for MRSA EVs to promote drug resistance. As the components of EVs are derived from MRSA, these compounds can trigger the immune response of the host, and thus have great potential as a vaccine. These lipid-coated vesicles secreted by MRSA contain a variety of bioactive factors, which are considered as the critical factors affecting the pathogenesis, drug resistance, and colonization of MRSA, and thus have the potential to treat these patients infected with MRSA. However, the clinical application of MRSA EVs as the acellular vaccines is still a long way off, and further research should be encouraged to bridge the gap between theoretical study and practical application.

Keywords: Biological function; Clinical potential; Extracellular vesicles; MRSA vaccine; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Extracellular Vesicles*
  • Humans
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus*
  • Staphylococcal Infections*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents