Rattlesnake VENOM could hold the key to fighting antibiotic-resistant superbugs
A compound found in rattlesnake venom has the potential to replace conventional antibiotics, according to a new study.
The research claims that the animals might be the answer to growing concerns about antibiotic resistance and the scarcity of antibiotics in development , according to Daily Mail.
The researchers explained how the venom works without damaging healthy cells.
Researcher Dr Sónia Troeira Henriques said the new study’s significance hinges on the fact that a growing number of bacteria strains are becoming resistant to drugs.
Additionally, antibiotics are becoming scarce, and the combination of the two problems is sparking fears about what will happen when humans can no longer depend on the drugs.
Dr Henriques said: ‘This is an example of taking what nature has given us and trying to understand how it works so we can modify it to be more potent, more stable or more drug-like to use as an alternative to what we have in our pharmacy now.’
The new report explains that a compound in the venom eliminates bacteria strains.
The report said: ‘The peptide fragment targets the surface of the bacteria through electrostatic attractions, caused by differences in membrane properties.’
Dr Henriques explained: ‘The peptide is positive while the bacteria is negative, allowing it to kill the bacteria by inserting and disrupting the membrane.
‘Because the cells in the body hosting the infection are neutral, they are not disrupted.’
The scientists used bacteria strains that cause serious infections that can be acquired in hospitals for the research, including a strain of E. coli.
‘These are usually difficult to target because they have an extra membrane and are often camouflaged by a capsule or slime layer,’ Dr Henriques said.
Dr Henriques will now further the research by exploring additional peptides that can be found in nature and potentially used to fight diseases, specifically focusing on breast cancer and melanoma.
N.H.Kh