Treating Bovine Mastitis with Nisin: A Model for the Use of Protein Antimicrobials in Veterinary Medicine
Sandra M. Roy, Margaret A. Riley and Joseph H. Crabb
from: The Bacteriocins: Current Knowledge and Future Prospects (Edited by: Robert L. Dorit, Sandra M. Roy and Margaret A. Riley). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2016) Pages: 127-140.
Abstract
Mastitis is the most common disease in dairy cattle, affecting approximately 56% of U.S. commercial dairy herds. Current treatments rely almost exclusively on broad-spectrum antibiotics. Resistance to these drugs is on the rise, rendering them essentially useless and requiring the development of novel approaches to both prevent and treat mastitis. This chapter reviews the current state of mastitis treatments and novel approaches that are being tested, focusing on one promising new technology produced by ImmuCell, a U.S. veterinary health company. This company has developed a bacteriocin-based strategy to combat mastitis, using the lantibiotic Nisin. This is the only bacteriocin-based product available in the U.S. and we detail its journey toward FDA approval as a New Animal Drug. This work underscores the potential to use these effective protein antimicrobials in combating disease in not only veterinary, but also human health read more ...
