Frog skin could cure the world’s superbugs

Scientists have discovered a slightly slippery possible cure to the world’s superbugs. According to researchers, frog skin may be a source of new antibiotics that could help stave off the nasty bugs.

More than 100 potentially bacteria-busting chemicals have been discovered in 6,000 species of frog. The United Arab Emirates University team are now in the process of tweaking the substances in the hope that they could be used for human medicines.

Drug resistant diseases such as swine flu and MRSA have become an increasing problem in recent years with strands spreading across the planet with the increase or air travel. Some have also blamed the increase in people travelling abroad for medical procedures.

There has, however, been a lack of drugs that are effective against the new diseases. Among those looking promising in the research is a rare American frog that could be helpful in the fight against MRSA. Another species could be used against a drug-resistant infection found in soldiers returning from Iraq.

The idea of using frog skin to generate drugs is a new one but the process is complicated as the chemicals extracted are normally either toxic to human cells or destroyed in the bloodstream. The scientists are therefore in the process of altering the molecular structure of the substances in order to make them less dangerous to humans.