The antimicrobial peptides (AMP) in the axolotls’ mucus membranes protect them from pathogens. Its antimicrobial peptides were effective against multi-resistant bacteria, including the dreaded methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and helped combat cancer cells. The chemical structure and mechanism of action of the antimicrobial peptides are what make them so difficult to produce. In a cell culture, these peptides triggered a programmed cell death in breast cancer cells. “We observed that the peptides specifically kill cancer cells without attacking healthy breast tissue cells,” Strauß said in a statement.