Panda Blood Contains Antibiotic That Kills Drug-Resistant Bacteria & Fungi



This is interesting. I came across this article while looking for something else. Naturally, this always happens to me, sidetracking me from what I am really looking for. I don’t know how we lived without the internet, or who had the time to load all this info out there for all of us to find in our searches.

Anyway, it seems we may make a better effort to save the Giant Pandas from extinction. Scientists have discovered a new compound in their DNA that their body secretes to help them guard against infection caused by bacteria and fungi. This report comes from the International Business Times. The name of this compound is cathelicidin-AM. Scientists can produce this new antibiotic in a lab, not needing to use Panda blood at all.

This compound showed potential antimicrobial activities against a wide spectrum of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi, both standard and drug-resistant strains. This may be good news for all of us with all these new drug-resistant diseases showing up. Giant Pandas may hold the key to the antibiotics of the future. You can read the whole article here:

http://www.ibtimes.com/panda-blood-contains-antibiotic-kills-drug-resistant-bacteria-fungi-990140