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Finding new antibiotics: The 48 uses of dragon's blood
尋找新抗生素：巨蜥血的48種功效
Komodo dragons could be the source for a new generation of antibiotics
科莫多巨蜥可成為新一代抗生素的來源。
Mythology is rich with tales of dragons and the magical properties their innards possess.
神話中有許多關(guān)于龍的傳說，以及它們體內(nèi)器官所具有的奇妙功效的故事。
One of the most valuable bits was their blood. Supposedly capable of curing respiratory and digestive disorders, it was widely sought.
其中最有價值的部分是它們的血液。據(jù)稱可以治愈呼吸和消化系統(tǒng)疾病，因此被廣泛追捧。
A new study has provided a factual twist on these fictional medicines.
一項新的研究為這些虛構(gòu)的藥物提供了一個真實依據(jù)。
Barney Bishop and Monique van Hoek, at George Mason University in Virginia, report in The Journal of Proteome Research that the blood of the Komodo dragon,
弗吉利亞州的喬治梅森大學(xué)的Barney和Monique在JPR上發(fā)表了一份報告，
the largest living lizard on the planet, is loaded with compounds that could be used as antibiotics.
他們發(fā)現(xiàn)這種地球上現(xiàn)存的最大蜥蜴的血液里充滿了可用以開發(fā)抗生素的化合物。
Komodo dragons, which are native to parts of Indonesia, ambush large animals like water buffalo and deer with a bite to the throat.
可摩多巨蜥，生活于印度尼西亞部分地區(qū)，它們經(jīng)常對水牛和鹿等大型動物致命一擊。
If their prey does not fall immediately, the dragons rarely continue the fight.
如果它們的獵物沒有很快倒地，巨蜥很少繼續(xù)戰(zhàn)斗。
Instead, they back away and let the mix of mild venom and dozens of pathogenic bacteria found in their saliva finish the job.
而是閃到一邊，等待它們唾液中的溫和毒液和致病細(xì)菌完成后半程。
They track their prey until it succumbs, whereupon they can feast without a struggle.
它們會跟蹤受傷的獵物直到獵物掛掉，然后不費力的享受一頓大餐。
Intriguingly, though, Komodo dragons appear to be resistant to bites inflicted by other dragons.
有趣的是，它們似乎對同類的咬傷免疫。
Most animals—not just Komodo dragons—carry simple proteins known as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as general-purpose weapons against infection.
大多數(shù)的動物–不僅僅是科摩多巨蜥–體內(nèi)有一種簡單蛋白質(zhì)，稱抗菌肽，用來抵御外界感染。
But if the AMPs of Komodo dragons are potent enough to let them shrug off otherwise-fatal bites from their fellow animals, they are probably especially robust.
如果科摩多巨蜥體內(nèi)的抗菌肽足夠強力，讓它們能夠抵御同類的出乎意料的致命咬傷，那么它們必然特別的強健。
And that could make them a promising source of chemicals upon which to base new antibiotics.
這可能使它們作為一種有前途的化合物來源，用于制造新型抗生素。
英文文本來自經(jīng)濟學(xué)人 譯文來自李一然
