Submitted by hareyan on Apr 11th, 2008
Researchers are on their way of developing new antibiotics from alligator blood that can even beat even drug-resistant superbugs.
Most of pharmaceutical companies have stopped developing new antibiotics, because the sphere is not that profitable. However, recent mass infections of drug-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) urge the importance of new antibiotics. This is why a team of scientists from McNeese State University and Louisiana State University started a laboratory test for a new drug.
It is known that alligators can strongly fight infections from bacteria and viruses thanks to blood's defending ability. White cells in alligator blood are the key part of immune system, just as human white cells. Researchers took white cell proteins called peptides as a base for the new antibiotic.
The proteins were exposed to different bacteria in laboratory and it showed to be resistant to most of these killing bacteria. A very small amount of proteins were able to kill MRSA, 6 out of 8 strains of fungus named Candida albicans, and also other bacteria that can kill people with weakened immune system.
Researchers are now looking for ways on how to use alligator proteins in humans, because human body is recognises proteins as foreign elements and rejects them. Researchers will try to make the chemical version of the protein and 'fool' human body, so that it don't recognise the elements as proteins.
Researchers hope that the new antibiotic will be ready in a decade. Laboratory tests are yet successful, but there is no guarantee that the drug will be useful for humans. However, researchers will do their best to make the new drug which is supposed to be in a cream form and called 'alligacin'.
Source:
eMaxHealth