Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33503238›Full record

ArticlePathogens and disease2021

Galleria mellonella larvae exhibit a weight-dependent lethal median dose when infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Poppy J Hesketh-Best, Michelle V Mouritzen, Kayleigh Shandley-Edwards, Richard A Billington, Mathew Upton

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pathogens and disease, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Structural insights into RNA recognition by theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Journal of medical microbiology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Small worms big discoveries:Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Microorganisms · 2023
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Poppy J Hesketh-BestSchool of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK.
Michelle V MouritzenSchool of Biomedical Sciences, University of Plymouth, Derriford Research Facility, Plymouth Science Park, Plymouth, PL6 8BT, UK.
Kayleigh Shandley-EdwardsSchool of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK.
Richard A BillingtonSchool of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK.
Mathew UptonSchool of Biomedical Sciences, University of Plymouth, Derriford Research Facility, Plymouth Science Park, Plymouth, PL6 8BT, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Galleria mellonella is a recognised model to study antimicrobial efficacy; however, standardisation across the scientific field and investigations of methodological components are needed. Here, we investigate the impact of weight on mortality following infection with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Larvae were separated into six weight groups (180-300 mg at 20 mg intervals) and infected with a range of doses of MRSA to determine the 50% lethal dose (LD50), and the 'lipid weight' of larvae post-infection was quantified. A model of LD50 values correlated with weight was developed. The LD50 values, as estimated by our model, were further tested in vivo to prove our model. We establish a weight-dependent LD50 in larvae against MRSA and demonstrate that G. mellonella is a stable model within 180-260 mg. We present multiple linear models correlating weight with: LD50, lipid weight, and larval length. We demonstrate that the lipid weight is reduced as a result of MRSA infection, identifying a potentially new measure in which to understand the immune response. Finally, we demonstrate that larval length can be a reasonable proxy for weight. Refining the methodologies in which to handle and design experiments involving G. mellonella, we can improve the reliability of this powerful model.

Indexed as

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureusAnimalsLarvaLethal Dose 50Models, BiologicalMothsReproducibility of ResultsStaphylococcal Infectionsantibiotic testingfat bodyGalleria mellonellaLD50Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureuspre-clinical model

Identifiers

PMID33503238
PMCPMC8855217

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.