, say the results suggest that Vlad probably had skin and respiratory conditions and could have even cried literal tears of blood.
He was also referred to as Vlad Drăculea, translating to “the son of the dragon,” which many believe inspired the eponymous character from the novel Dracula. This letter written by Vlad the Impaler in 1475 contains proteins that suggest he suffered from respiratory problems and bloodied tears. Credit: Adapted from Analytical Chemistry, 2023, DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01461
The most degraded proteins were likely the oldest, and therefore, they are the most likely to be from Vlad compared to newer, less-degraded proteins that could have originated from other people handling the letters more recently. A total of 16 proteins were of human origin, relating to skin, breathing and blood.