Posted on 01/01/2013 1:54:41 PM PST by DogByte6RER
Panda blood compound 6x more powerful than current antibiotics
In what could be either very good news or very bad news for our fluffy black and white friends, it's been discovered that panda blood contains an antibiotic compound that's vastly more powerful than anything we've got right now.
Researchers at the Life Sciences College of Nanjing Agricultural University in China have extracted a compound called cathelicidin-AM from the blood of giant pandas. Cathelicidin-AM is what's called a gene-encoded antimicrobial peptide, a natural antibiotic that's produced by a panda's immune cells. Testing has shown that cathelicidin-AM can kill even drug resistant strains of bacteria and fungi, and it can do in one hour what conventional antibiotics can barely do in six, without causing nearly as much resistance.
Cathelicidin-AM could get turned into a drug, or it could get turned into a surface sanitizier. Either way, the researchers say that they're not done with the panda genome yet, and other secret drugs may be awaiting discovery, like whatever it is that makes pandas have a non-stop craving for bamboo.
As far as the pandas themselves go, here's the good news: the fact that panda blood is now useful for humans means that pandas themselves are useful for humans for things besides modeling for WWF logos and stuffed animals, and the hope is that it'll make it easier to keep them from going extinct.
And here's the bad news: this stuff comes from the blood of pandas, so getting it out involves stabbing a panda and sucking out some of its juices. My guess is that pandas don't like this very much. It's a good thing that scientists have just about figured out how to synthesize cathelicin-AM, because otherwise, we're in for some very sad pandas.
I've been fighting off this cold virus ... so my doctor just told me to take three baby pandas and to call back in the morning.
More news coverage ...
Panda Blood May Hold Potent Assailant Against Superbugs
- Researchers have discovered a powerful antibody in panda blood that could serve as the next frontier in the fight against increasingly prevalent superbugs
This news should give all pandas a reprieve that they must die by the edicts of Corky & The Juice Pigs ...
“The Pandas Must Die” @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANg7iPu9DAg
/johnny
Ping
Cathelicidin-AM is what's called a gene-encoded antimicrobial peptide, a natural antibiotic that's produced by a panda's immune cells. Testing has shown that cathelicidin-AM can kill even drug resistant strains of bacteria and fungi, and it can do in one hour what conventional antibiotics can barely do in six, without causing nearly as much resistance.Only Nixon could go to China. Nyah nyah.
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Maybe this helps explain why so many Panda pregnancies end in miscarriages. In humans, some females’ immune systems attack the fetus, and they require a “Rogam” shot to counteract this. Could be a similar process at work in the Panda female?
I’m guessing this means that the pharmaceuticls will come out with Save the Pandas commercials and they will forced to breed like rats. I guess now we know how to save endangered species. “Did ya hear about African Lion blood causing wounds to heal 10 times as fast?”...lol
Panda: It’s what’s for dinner!
Best post ever!
Eat more panda.
What about vulture blood, crocodile blood, komodo dragon blood. They eat anything and survive. Blood hasta count for sumpin.
What’s next? Will the scientists discover that ground up “dragon bones” really do cure impotence?
there’s a temporary fix for it already... a little blue pill.
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