GETTY Scientists found Komodo dragons have anti-bacterial blood that could be used to fight superbugs

The world's largest lizard, which can grow to nearly 9ft long and weigh 200lbs, thrive despite being exposed to multiple germs that would kill off less hardy creatures. Their saliva contains at least 57 species of highly septic bacteria, which are believed to contribute to the demise of their prey. Yet the predators seem to be immune to these deadly germs.

Now scientists at George Mason University in Virginia have detected antimicrobial protein fragments in the lizard's blood that appear to help them resist deadly infections. The findings could lead to new drugs to fight hospital superbugs and other antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA. Associate Professors Dr Barney Bishop and Dr Monique van Hoek said: "Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards and are the apex predators in their environment.

GETTY The world's largest lizard can grow to nearly 9ft long and weigh 200lbs

"They endure numerous strains of pathogenic bacteria in their saliva and recover from wounds inflicted by other dragons, reflecting the inherent robustness of their innate immune defence."

Komodo dragon blood plasma contains a host of potentially viable antimicrobial peptides Dr Barney Bishop and Dr Monique van Hoek

The scientists looked to detect substances known as cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). These are produced by nearly all living creatures and are an essential part of the innate immune system. They isolated these peptides using an approach known as bioprospecting by incubating Komodo dragon blood with negatively charged hydrogel particles that they developed to capture the peptides, which are positively charged.

GETTY The scientists looked to detect substances known as cationic antimicrobial peptides

They identified and sequenced 48 potential CAMPs with mass spectrometry. All but one of these was derived from histone proteins, which are known to have antimicrobial activities. They then synthesised eight and tested against hospital superbugs Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. P. aeruginosa is a relatively common type of infection in UK hospitals as it can survive in harsh environments. It is an opportunist bug attacking patients with weakened immune systems such as cancer patients, newborns and patients with severe burns, diabetes mellitus or cystic fibrosis.

Staphylococcus known as staph infections is responsible for MRSA. The authors concluded: "Seven of the peptides showed significant potency against both bacteria. The eighth was only effective against P. aeruginosa. "This study demonstrates the power and promise of our bioprospecting approach to cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) discovery and it reveals the presence of a plethora of novel histone-derived antimicrobial peptides in the plasma of the Komodo dragon.

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GETTY The predators seem to be immune to deadly germs