Scientists develop a potential antibiotic from Komodo dragon blood
29 October 2020
Komodo dragon blood may hold the key to tackling the “looming crisis” of antimicrobial resistance, according to scientists behind a potential new antibiotic, DRGN-6.
The synthetic molecule, developed by experts at George Mason University in the United States, was created by combining two genes found in Komodo dragon blood – an endangered species found on five Indonesian islands.
In preclinical tests DRGN-6 killed carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, a highly drug resistant bacteria which causes a particularly aggressive form of pneumonia.
Further reading: The Telegraph
Author(s): Sarah Newey, Jordan Kelly-Linden
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