Scientists find new ways to fight disease tuberculosis (TB) through research on 265 mummies. All of these mummies have the possibility to uncover the secrets of the human immune system.
These mummies were buried between 1731 and 1838 in a Dominican church basement, in northern Hungary.
Mummification process occurs naturally through the micro climate in the basement, including low temperature, humidity and air pressure is constant.
Flakes of wood placed under the body in a coffin to absorb the liquid. So that these bodies do not decompose, but slowly dried up.
Approximately 89 percent of the mummies were, varying from newborn to age 65 years, have been infected with TB signs and approximately 35 percent develop the disease at death.
"We can say approximately 89 percent of these people are infected with TB or pathogen when it was still alive," said Head of the Department of Anthropology of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Ildiko Pap.
"Their immune system seems likely to be better than us. If you can find some of the genes and discover why they are more resistant to tuberculosis than us, then it will be the greatest contribution to modern medical science," he added.
According to him, research on the mummies could lead to new TB drug development or discovery of the genetic changes that affect our reaction to the disease.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar