The predatory Count Dracula, demonic-looking Nosferatu, shimmering in the sun Edward Cullen and the well-known Salvatore brothers … Vampires take different forms, but bloodlust and aversion to sunlight are, as a rule, their main characteristics.
Vampire myths
The word "vampire" first appeared in English sometime around the 18th century, but stories about these creatures are older. The forerunners of modern vampires can be found in ancient Greek and mesotopic folklore, although myths about demonic creatures that drink human blood have appeared in cultures around the world. In Chile, they are called peuchen, in China - jiangxi, in Scotland - banshees, and the list goes on.
Blood disorder
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Most people would agree that vampires don't exist. Nevertheless, there are some facts in their favor in fiction. Most often, a very rare disease is associated with vampirism - a blood disorder called erythropoietic protoporphyria (Gunther's disease).
This disorder is the third most common type of porphyria, which develops most often during childhood. Patients are extremely sensitive to sunlight: even a small amount of it leads to burning and swelling of the skin.
“People with erythropoietic protoporphyria are prone to chronic anemia, which leads to constant feelings of fatigue, pallor, and increased sensitivity to light, so they cannot leave the room during the day,” said Barry Pau, M. D. at the Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center in Boston. "Even on a cloudy day, ultraviolet light can cause blisters on exposed parts of the body, ears and nose."
How to relieve symptoms
Modern doctors recommend that such patients stay indoors during the day. Blood transfusions with sufficient heme can also alleviate their symptoms. However, patients in medieval and ancient times, of course, did not have access to effective medicine and, perhaps, only left the house at night, and also used animal blood to try to alleviate their condition on their own.
Genetic explanation for vampirism
Not so long ago, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a report on a study in which scientists were able to find a genetic mutation that is responsible for Gunther's disease. This means that the myths about vampires have a biological basis.
“This recently discovered mutation really highlights the complex genetic network that underlies heme metabolism,” says Pau, senior author of the study. "Mutations that cause loss of function in any number of genes that are part of this network can lead to devastating, distorting disorders."
Scientists hope that the results of this study will help not only explain vampirism, but also develop a therapy that can correct damaged genes in people with erythropoietic protoporphyria.
“While vampires do not exist, there is a need for innovative treatments that can improve the lives of people with porphyria,” says Pau.
Anna Pismenna