Jay

Crocodile blood may yield powerful new antibiotics
By Michael Perry

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Scientists in Australia's tropical north are collecting blood from crocodiles in the hope of developing a powerful antibiotic for humans, after tests showed that the reptile's immune system kills the HIV virus.

The crocodile's immune system is much more powerful than that of humans, preventing life-threatening infections after savage territorial fights which often leave the animals with gaping wounds and missing limbs.

"They tear limbs off each other and despite the fact that they live in this environment with all these microbes, they heal up very rapidly and normally almost always without infection," said U.S. scientist Mark Merchant, who has been taking crocodile blood samples in the Northern Territory.

Initial studies of the crocodile immune system in 1998 found that several proteins (antibodies) in the reptile's blood killed bacteria that were resistant to penicillin, such as Staphylococcus aureus or golden staph, Australian scientist Adam Britton told Reuters on Tuesday. It was also a more powerful killer of the HIV virus than the human immune system.

"If you take a test tube of HIV and add crocodile serum it will have a greater effect than human serum. It can kill a much greater number of HIV viral organisms," Britton said from Darwin's Crocodylus Park, a tourism park and research center.

Britton said the crocodile immune system worked differently from the human system by directly attacking bacteria immediately an infection occurred in the body.

"The crocodile has an immune system which attaches to bacteria and tears it apart and it explodes. It's like putting a gun to the head of the bacteria and pulling the trigger," he said.

For the past 10 days Britton and Merchant have been carefully collecting blood from wild and captive crocodiles, both sal****er and freshwater species. After capturing a crocodile and strapping its powerful jaws closed the scientists extract blood from a large vein behind the head.

"It's called a sinus, right behind the head, and it's very easy just to put a needle in the back of the neck and hit this sinus and then you can take a large volume of blood very simply," said Britton.

The scientists hope to collect enough crocodile blood to isolate the powerful antibodies and eventually develop an antibiotic for use by humans.

"We may be able to have antibiotics that you take orally, potentially also antibiotics that you could run topically on wounds, say diabetic ulcer wounds; burn patients often have their skin infected and things like that," said Merchant.

However, the crocodile's immune system may be too powerful for humans and may need to be synthesized for human consumption.

"There is a lot of work to be done. It may take years before we can get to the stage where we have something to market," said Britton.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsAr...OCODILE-DC.XML

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A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!

Aryan

This has been known for a long time has already been documented.....

lemontree

Ya but this time they are trying to do research with getting eaten by the croc..

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Cheers!...on the rocks!!

sparten

I would not come within 10 yards of a croc, without a rifle.

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"Any relations in a social order will endure if there is infused into them some of that spirit of human sympathy, which qualifies life for immortality." ~ George William Russell

Samudra

I wouldnt do it even with a rifle.

THL

Sam -
Crocodile blood on this thread, Duck blood and road kill on another thread...I see a trend here, man!! It's kinda freakin' me out!

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"To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person you are."-Sholem Asch

"I always turn to the sports page first, which records people's accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man's failures."-Earl Warren

"I didn't intend for this to take on a political tone. I'm just here for the drugs."-Nancy Reagan, when asked a political question at a "Just Say No" rally

"He no play-a da game, he no make-a da rules."-Earl Butz, on the Pope's attitude toward birth control

Samudra

Miss , bad news here too.
Father decides to sell two goats in the farm to the slaughter people since they are being too naughty. :-(

The world is just not fair to me.

THL

Those naughty goats have got to be taken care of...Can't let the kids get out of hand!

Samudra

Not fair , not fair at all.

Where is the forest ?
Where is the banyan tree ?
I want my salvation , NOW !

The Chap

On the bright side, they will always yield powerful new handbags.

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Where's the bloody gin? An army marches on its liver, not its ruddy stomach.

Jay

Its all good

You cudve sold it to me I wouldve killed them with out any pain

Jay

you are cruel

p.s: We can make good soups out of these crocs