Slashdot Mirror
Alligator Blood May Be Source of New Antibiotics
esocid writes "Biochemists from McNeese State University have described how proteins in gator blood may provide a source of powerful new antibiotics to help fight infections associated with diabetic ulcers and severe burns. This new class of drug could also crack so-called 'superbugs' that are resistant to conventional medication. Previous studies have showed alligators have an unusually strong immune system; unlike humans, alligator immune systems can defend against microorganisms such as fungi, viruses, and bacteria without having prior exposure to them. Scientists believe that this is an evolutionary adaptation to promote quick wound healing, as alligators are often injured during fierce territorial battles."
Scientists believe that this is an evolutionary adaptation to promote quick wound healing, as alligators are often injured during fierce territorial battles.
Or conversely, alligators as a species have always had these antibiotics. Why is it that every interesting or perplexing feature about a species must be somehow attributed to, or be a product of, evolution?
I'm as much a believer in evolution as the next, but I've grown a bit tired of every amazing discovery being associated with evolution.
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
Crocodile's Immune System Kills HIV - story from 2005
wot no sig
Turns out Komodo dragons have a fairly lethal cocktail of bacteria in their saliva.
Kills prey that manages to escape their immediate grasp, then they use smell to track it down.
Naturally they need protection from this goo too.
Couldn't find a better link than this:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12238371/
Absolute statements are never true
The authors must never have heard of the innate immune system. Unlike the adaptive arm, the innate system responds very quickly to non-self and can combat infection or at least control the spread of pathogens until the adaptive system can respond effectively. Defensins and other bacteriacidal proteins are as old as insects and have been purified from haemolymph (the insect functional equivalent of blood) for almost two decades. Humans also boast a large repertoire of Toll-Like Receptors, analogues to Drosophila Toll, which recognize molecular patterns never expressed by the host, but always associated with pathogens. Another way humans respond to viruses, bacteria and fungi is the complement system, which also does not need prior exposure. This seems like grandstanding on the part of the authors, if you can even call them that, since this isn't published peer-reviewed work yet. I'll stick to eating gumbo for my alligator-derived health benefits.
Their legs can be treated like Buffalo Wings, very tasty.
The tail is the most popular part, as thats used much like chicken tenders. Most people enjoy fried gator tail. You can go back further up on its back, for the tenderloin, but not as good.
Last part I've tried is the ribs. Very similar to baby back ribs, its a white meat, no question about it when eating the ribs. Yes, the amount of meat to bone isn't all that good, but its good enough to enjoy a slow smoking.
Alligator really is the other other white meat, and one of my favourites.
The alligator does not seem to be entirely unique in this.
In my Emerging Infectious Diseases class, we learned that the tiny ticks that spread the Lyme disease bacterium are known to bite and feed on the blood of the western fence lizard. An interesting side effect of this behavior is that the blood of the lizard apparently clears the ticks' guts of Lyme bacteria. So this immune adaptation is apparently present in a number of lizard species.
Think, also, of the Komodo dragon, which walks around with a poisonous soup of microbes in its mouth at all times -- in fact, it actually uses this disease cocktail as an offensive weapon.
Breakfast served all day!
Steady on.
There are many antibiotics that are not used in agriculture. They have been set aside to fight the superbugs. Unfortunately, we are finding strains of bacteria resistant to even these "reserved" antibiotics. If it turns out that an antibiotic can kill these bugs, then we can use it just on the superbugs.
Yes, in time, a bacteria will adapt to this antibiotic. Potentially this bacteria may find its way into the crocodile ecosystem. But look at it this way, if crocodiles have had this antibody in their bodies for (perhaps) millions of years, is it not possible that a resistant bacteria already exists?
As a note, the reason doctors throw "everything" at a superbug, is because you want to ensure the vast majority of the population is dead, to reduce the possibility of adaptation. In addition, several antibiotics work really well in combination, doing a better job than if utilitized one at a time.
and lastly, just because a bacteria is resistant to antibodies in your system, doesn't make it fatal. Humans lived through smallpox outbreaks. Many don't. Same thing for your phantom crocolisk superbug. Maybe it invades their systems and give them cold sores.
If only we could fall into a woman's arms without falling into her hands
I think it causes the blood vessels to expand, hence the drunk's bulbous nose. And if you're still out in the cold, expanding the capillaries on your skin is the last thing you want to do.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
The goal is to sequence the peptides involved, ultimately to synthesize them. It's not going to affect wild alligator populations, not that there's a dearth of them! Adam