Komodo Dragon Blood’s Healing Secrets Revealed: Antimicrobial Substances Found In Monitor Lizard Might Be The Key To Beat Superbugs

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Komodo dragons also known as Komodo monitor are described to be the largest and heaviest extinct lizard species. Reports then say that scientists then have found antimicrobial protein fragments in the Komodo’s blood. Hence could help in developing new drugs to combat such antibiotic resistant bacterias which could be found in superbugs.

Komodo dragons were said to have at least 57 species of bacteria in their saliva which helps them derive their prey. Thus, it is also believed that those bacteria species protect them against infection while surviving the wild.

According to Daily Mail, a study published in the Journal of Proteome Research had resolved to find out whether they could find cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMP) from the Komodo dragon’s blood. CAMP substances were then described to be essential to the innate immune system. A method called “bioprospecting” were then conducted by the team.

Thus, researchers from the College of Science at George Mason University incubated the Komodo dragon blood to identify the positively charged peptides from the negative ones. The study then found out that the monitor lizard’s blood contained 48 positive charged peptides. The accumulated peptides were then said to have antimicrobial activities.

Furthermore, New Atlas mentioned that among the found substances in the Komodo dragon’s blood, only eight was synthesized by the team. The researchers then found out that seven of those substances were effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The eight peptide just resulted to fighting off only the P. aeruginosa.

The study then noted that “The study demonstrates the power and promise of our bioprospecting approach to cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) discovery and it reveals the presence of a plethora of novel histone-derived antimicrobial peptides in the plasma of the Komodo dragon.” The scientists then said that they had also created a new peptide called DRGN-1 that has a wound-healing ability and brushes off biofilms which are the bacterias difficult to eliminate groups.

Nonetheless, researchers conclude that their findings could pave the way for new drugs to fight off and treat antibiotic resistant bacteria. For more interesting findings and discovery such as the Miracle fruit that could make chemotherapy patients get their taste back, visit us here.