Alligator blood 'may fight bugs'
 Researchers took blood from American alligators |
Proteins isolated from alligator blood may lead to new antibiotics to treat "superbugs", such as MRSA.
Speaking at the American Chemical Society conference, US researchers said the discovery could also lead to treatments for severe burns and ulcers.
Alligators can suffer serious injuries during fierce territorial battles but heal quickly despite contact with bacteria, viruses and fungi.
Antibiotic resistance is on the rise yet there is a lack of new treatments.
Humans build up immunity to infection-causing organisms after coming into contact with them.
 |  There's a real possibility that you could be treated with an alligator blood product one day  Dr Mark Merchant |
But, the Louisiana researchers said, previous work has shown alligators have a particularly strong immune system which can fight microorganisms such as fungi, viruses, and bacteria without being previously exposed to them.
The team collected blood samples from American alligators after injecting them with a substance to stimulate their immune systems.
They then isolated infection-fighting white blood cells and extracted antibiotic proteins.
In laboratory tests, tiny amounts of the protein extracts killed a wide range of bacteria, including MRSA.
The proteins also killed six out of eight different strains of Candida albicans - a yeast infection which can be a serious problem in people with weakened immune systems, such as Aids patients.
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