A team of Australian researchers has recently discovered the Tasmanian devil’s milk has powerful antibiotic properties, making it a reliable weapon against antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
According to the Sydney University scientists, this milk is rich in peptides, powerful compound acids capable of treating life-threatening infections caused by MRSA. Young devils are born with this powerful cocktail which helps them recover from any wounds.
However, it is not known yet whether the Tasmanian devil’s milk can be used to deal with the current screwworm outbreak. After such as a scientific breakthrough, experts will continue their research to develop a peptide-based treatment, which is expected to significantly improve the medical field and pharmaceutical industry.
By scanning the genetic code of the devils, the team aimed to find the antibiotic compounds. According to Emma Peel, a Ph.D. student and a member of the team, she and her colleagues discovered six vital peptides.
She further added that twelve peptides were found in opossums, while other eight in Tammar wallabies. After studying the ones found in the Tasmanian devil’s milk, researchers developed a recipe to recreate the same compounds.
The important fact is that the team used the antibiotics on six types of fungi and 25 types of bacteria. One of these synthetic peptides, called Saha-CATH5, proved to be highly effective against the MRSA superbug.
MRSA is usually found on some people’s skin or inside the throat and nose, but it’s harmless in most cases. However, if this superbug manages to enter the body through open wounds, it leads to violent, life-threatening infections.
MRSA can be treated using a mix of antibiotics which tackle its resistance. The peptides in the Tasmanian devil’s milk also killed another antibiotic-resistant superbug, called Candida, which usually occurs in skin infections.
These findings are crucial as experts stress that patients need new medications powerful enough to deal with treatment-resistant bacteria. According to the latest statistics, superbugs will become a serious threat by 2050, as they could take down one person every few seconds throughout the world.
Scientists will try to use the Tasmanian devil’s milk to cure the facial tumor disease which has led to an 80 percent drop-off in the devil’s population over the past two decades.
Image Source: Provincia