ALLIGATOR

Gator blood: Could it be the miracle cure for AIDS?

Alligator blood has been found to be high in certain peptides that are great at killing viruses, including HIV.Courtesy Bill Swindaman. Have you ever wondered why you never see alligators in the waiting room at the clinic?

For one thing, alligators have really bad medical insurance. But the bigger reason they stay so healthy is in their blood. New research has shown that alligator blood can kill off 23 different strains of bacteria. In effect, the gators have antibiotics in their blood.

Researchers started looking into alligator blood after noticing that the creatures rarely get infections despite all the wounds they suffer in their violent lives.

Why does any of this matter to us? The discovery could have huge impacts for our health. For one thing, experiments have shown the alligator blood is able to destroy much of HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.

More specifically, alligator blood (and the blood of many other reptiles) is high in peptides, which are fragments of proteins). Learning more about these peptides could lead to the creation of medicines we’d be able to use to fight off strong viruses like HIV.

Don’t worry. You won’t be getting any transfusions of alligator blood the next time you’re at the hospital. Researchers estimate that pills or creams with the peptides that are also present in alligator blood might be ready for the human marketplace within the next seven years.

REFERENCE:

http://www.sciencebuzz.org/blog/gator-blood-could-it-be-miracle-cure-aids

CLOZE TEST

Directions: Supply the missing words to complete the paragraph.

            Alligators blood have _____________ that keep them healthy despite the wounds they suffer in their violent lives. In fact, gators blood can kill ________ different strains of bacteria. Moreover, experiments have shown that the __________ is high in __________ which can destroy HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. This discovery then could have a huge impact for human health. Researchers estimate that ______________ might be ready for the human marketplace within the next seven years.