Alligators could help fight MRSA

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/07/scigators107.xml

Alligator blood and clay have become the latest, somewhat unlikely, weapons in the war against superbugs.

Around one third of all deaths on this planet are the result of infection and there is an urgent need to create new ways to fight bacteria because of the explosion in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, combined with a slow down in the development of new types of antibiotic.

Despite their reputation for deadly attacks on humans and pets, alligators are wiggling their way toward a new role as potential lifesavers, says Dr Kermit Murray of Louisiana State University.
advertisement

He tells the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans that proteins in gator blood may provide a source of powerful new antibiotics to help fight superbugs, along with infections associated with diabetic ulcers and severe burns.

Their study is the first to explore the antimicrobial activity of alligator blood in detail. "We're very excited about the potential of these alligator blood proteins as both antibacterial and antifungal agents," says co-author Dr Mark Merchant. "There's a real possibility that you could be treated with an alligator blood product one day."

In laboratory tests, the researchers report that tiny amounts of these protein extracts killed a wide range of bacteria, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the deadly bacteria that are moving out of hospitals and into the community.

In another study, Dr Shelley Haydel and colleagues at Arizona State University report that minerals from clay could form the basis of a new generation of cheap, highly-effective antimicrobials for fighting MRSA infections.

Unlike conventional antibiotics that are often administered by injection or pills, the so-called "healing clays" could be used as rub-on creams or ointments to keep MRSA infections from spreading, the researchers say. The clays also show promise against a wide range of other harmful bacteria, including those that cause skin infections and food poisoning, the scientists add.

"Other than the associated antibacterial activities of the two, there would be no link between the clays and the alligator blood proteins," she tells the Telegraph. "The mechanism of antibacterial action is likely to be very different...which is actually a good thing."

Clays have been used for thousands of years as a remedy for infected wounds, indigestion, and other health problems, either by applying clay to the skin or eating it. Today, clays are commonly used at health spas in the form of mud baths and facials. Armed with new investigative tools, researchers are beginning to explore their health properties.

"Clays are little chemical drug-stores in a packet," says Dr Haydel. "They contain literally hundreds of elements. Some of these compounds are beneficial but others aren't. Our goal is to find out what nature is doing and see if we can find a better way to kill harmful bacteria."
_________________
"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.