PHOTOS: NGS; DPA; Getty Images; DDP; Only World/Fotofinder; Horst A. Friedrichs/Anzenberger; PR;Konrad Woche; Mary Dimitropoulou/EyeEm; Simon Bracken; Dorling Kindersley (2); Dave King.the fruit bats, the human operating
system will essentially short-circuit
itself—and the body collapses.IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
UNTIL WE WILL BE ABLE TO
UNRAVEL THEIR SECRET.
In the lab, researchers are trying to
identify the proteins that fruit bats
use to control infl ammation and to
stave off tumors. These proteins or
modifi cations of them could help to
treat ailments in which infl ammation
complicates the life of the affected
individual or even puts an end to it.
Such debilitating conditions include
arthritis, rheumatism, heart attack,
and stroke. The substances could
also contribute to a cure for deadly
viruses such as SARS and Ebola.
With the help of the fl uttering virus
transmitters, scores of human lives
could soon be preserved. Geneticist
and bat researcher Emma Teeling ofIreland’s University College Dublin
is convinced: “It is only a matter of
time until we will be able to unravel
their secret once and for all. Mother
Nature knows the answer.”
Eradicating fruit bats out of fear of
contagion is the wrong way to go,
says Wang. That would only serve
to increase the risk of an epidemic.
The reason: The death of the fellow
members of their species would put
a lot of stress on the remaining fruit
bats, and this stress would cause
the concentration of viruses inside
them to rise. That in turn would raise
the risk of infecting other animals. In
addition, fruit bats, like other types
of bats, are extremely important for
the ecological balance of our world:
One colony of half a million animals
can end a pest outbreak in a single
night. They do so entirely without the
aid of their viruses—instead they just
use their excellent hunting instincts.Fruit bats can live
10 times as long
as other mammals
of a similar size,
and only rarely do
they develop cancer.
respond by exhibiting an extremely
pronounced infl ammatory reaction.
Infectious diseases specialist Linfa
Wang explains: “Despite the cliché,
very few viruses actually kill people.
In general, it is the humans who kill
themselves, so to speak, as a result
of excessively severe infl ammation.”
In other words: In contrast with the
always-activated immune fi rewall ofWHAT MAKES THE
DEADLY ENEMY TICK?
Canadian researchers in
protective suits experiment
with the Ebola virus in a
high-security laboratory.EMMA TEELING, GENETICIST FROM IRELANDMar 2017 26 ideasanddiscoveries.com