Search Results for: blog a new source for antibiotics alligators

Antibiotics: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

I’m currently taking two different types of antibiotics to treat an infected cat bite (ah the joys of working with animals). Here’s a fun fact: the doctor told me that eighty percent of cat bites end up infected. I guess I’ve been lucky so far — I’ve only had two bites get bad. Antibiotics come from two basic places: molds and bacteria. They work in one of two ways: by killing bacteria outright or by stopping their ability to reproduce (so they die out). Different antibiotics work against different types of bacteria — so taking one type of antibiotics for … Continue reading →

A New Source for Antibiotics: Alligators

As part of an ongoing effort to discover new medications for drug-resistant superbugs, researchers are looking in very strange places. Like inside alligators. A study from McNeese State University and Louisiana State University is looking at extracts of alligator blood. Why alligator blood? Researchers say that alligators have the ability to automatically fight germs, bacteria, and viruses without prior exposure. Their immune systems can launch a defense quickly and effectively. The researchers took peptides (a kind of protein) from alligator blood. Just like white blood cells in humans, these alligator peptides are part of the immune system response. In laboratory … Continue reading →

Fight Arthritis with Ants

Posted on by

Researchers from the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University are looking at a traditional folk remedy to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic diseases. A certain type of Chinese ant (Polyrhacis lamellidens for you scientific types) has long been used in Chinese folk medicine to treat chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis. For centuries, the little ant has been used as a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory agent to help reduce the symptoms of various chronic diseases. The study from the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University looked at extracts made from the ants. … Continue reading →

Infection Fighting Mud

Researchers are always looking for alternatives to traditional antibiotics — especially in this day and age of resistant “superbugs”. Last week, it was compounds in alligator blood. This week? It’s mud. Scientists from the Arizona State University Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology are looking at anti-microbial minerals in mud. Why? Because mud and clay have a long history of use in healing. Ancient people around the world used mud for wound healing, skin soothing, and more. These days, mud and clay are mainly cosmetic products… but that may change within the next few years. The Arizona State University team … Continue reading →