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Crocodile blood may yield powerful new drugs - immune system kills HIV

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mzmolly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-05 02:53 PM
Original message
Crocodile blood may yield powerful new drugs - immune system kills HIV
Scientists in Australia's tropical north are collecting blood from crocodiles in the hope of developing a powerful antimicrobial drugs for humans, after tests showed that the reptile's immune system kills HIV.

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

...

Britton said the crocodile immune system works differently from the human system by directly attacking microbes immediately an infection occurs.

"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.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050816/hl_nm/crocodile_blood_dc

To interesting not to share.

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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-05 02:54 PM
Response to Original message
1. That's also why Batman has such hard time with Killer Croc
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MissB Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-05 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. .
:spray:
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Threedifferentones Donating Member (820 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-05 02:55 PM
Response to Original message
3. Wow
The world continues to amaze me.
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gman16 Donating Member (139 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-05 02:59 PM
Response to Original message
4. I'm not happy
if I'm a crocodile.
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mzmolly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-05 03:02 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. Kinda thought you were. Though I don't think you'd have to be executed.
;)

I believe they'd just take a bit of bloooooooood.
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indepat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-05 03:01 PM
Response to Original message
5. One of the reasons the crock has been around so long
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