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But the overuse and misuse of drugs have allowed old bugs to fight back and eventually overpower antibiotics, rendering some useless. "We can say that 89 percent of these people were infected by tuberculosis or its pathogen during their lifetime," Pap said. "Their immune system was likely better than ours. If we could locate some gene sections and discover why they were more resistant to tuberculosis than us, then that could be of great assistance to modern medical science." She said that the study of the mummies could lead to the development of new tuberculosis medication or the discovery of genetic changes that have affected our reaction to the disease. Dr. Ruth McNerney, senior lecturer in Pathogen Biology and Diagnostics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that the research on the Hungarian mummies could provide a historical reference for the development of the disease. "These samples were taken from before drugs were around ... so they represent early TB," said McNerney, who is not connected to the mummy research. "If we can pin down areas in the DNA of these mummies and see how they differ from modern (DNA), it might help us understand why modern TB drug resistance is developing." Forensic expert Agnes Kustar has been working on the facial reconstruction of one of the most striking mummies in the lot
-- Baroness Antonia Tauber. She was a nun descended from a prominent family, had a pronounced
humpback and suffered from tuberculosis. Contemporary records describe the
baroness as an excellent teacher -- 'zealous and loveable, a kind soul.' To carry out facial reconstruction, experts need a detailed CT scan of the mummy, which gives a 3-D picture of the skull. It can then be transformed into a plastic model identical to the original face. This mummy has a special place in the hearts of the team. "She has become a familiar person to us," said Kustar. "We were able to get to know her face and through it her whole personality."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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