Una soluzione alla resistenza agli antibiotici potrebbe celarsi nel varano di Komodo, la lucertola più grande al mondo.
Nelle fauci di questo rettile, diffuso in alcune aree dell'Indonesia, si trovano infatti decine di batteri, che sono potenzialmente letali. Come fa allora a sopravvivere? La risposta, secondo uno studio della George Mason University (Virginia, USA), si trova nel sangue dell'animale: in un campione, infatti, i ricercatori hanno individuato una classe di particolari proteine con proprietà antimicrobiche.
Alcune di esse sono state sintetizzate in laboratorio e hanno mostrato efficacia contro due fra i batteri attualmente più difficili da debellare. I realizzatori della ricerca confidano ora nella possibilità di elaborare un nuovo farmaco in grado di combattere i microorganismi più resistenti agli antibiotici tradizionali.
Red.MM/ARi
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