- Animal Venom: A Medical Breakthrough - Charles & Clint
Venomous creatures, like, snakes, spiders, scorpions, bees, stingrays, centipedes, anemones, ants, snails and many other poisonous animals have serious potential in the development of medicines and medical treatments.
Medical breakthrough: Venom used to separate cancer cells from healthy tissue
In one example, a study performed by a research team from Seattle Children's Hospital and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Washington suggested that a substance found in scorpion venom may hold the key to effectively treating many different types of cancers.
An article written for The Independent (“Scorpion venom offers improved cancer surgery”, Sadie Gray, July 16, 2007), reported that the team of researchers led by Dr. James Olsen, hopes this new information will lead the way to improving existing cancer therapies, thus giving patients a better outcome.
Venom harvested from scorpions is joined to a florescent marker, (Cy5.5), which turns it into a molecular beacon. Once this beacon is injected, it has the ability to distinguish between healthy tissue and cancerous cells. It will stick to the cancerous cells, effectively painting them and lighting them up, so that surgeons have a better chance of accurately removing unhealthy cells.
It is vitally important for surgeons to be able to completely remove all cancerous cells, when operating, because any cells left behind have the potential to re-grow.
Nature provides the means for medical advancements
Scorpions are only one of many venomous insect and animal species that researchers are studying. Listed below are a few other poisonous creatures that could positively influence medical treatment plans:
- Tarantula venom — has the potential to block cell reactions involved in muscle degeneration in people with muscular dystrophy.
- Ant venom — is being studied as an additive to new drug therapies
- Cone snail venom — the FDA has approved Prialt, a synthetic drug compound that is identical to the toxins found in cone snails. Prialt is proven to be 1,000 times stronger than morphine for fighting chronic pain. It is believed that while much better at fighting pain, Prialt does not have the dangerous addictive qualities found in morphine.
- Snake venom — is being studied extensively due to its ability to inhibit the growth of tumors.
- Bee venom — the toxin found in bee venom has the ability to kill tumor cells.
Biological warfare of the venomous kind
Doctors have a new biological warfare weapon to use against disabling and life threatening diseases and illnesses. Venomous insects and animals are proving to be extremely beneficial to people suffering from chronic pain, muscular dystrophy and other assorted types of cancers and illnesses.
Venom toxins are a breakthrough in medicine, but they may also be the secret to protecting agricultural crops from harmful and destructive insects.
Scientists are studying how insects, like the scorpion, kill other insects by stinging them; perhaps natural pesticides, that follow the scorpions example, will soon be the more natural or greener way to protect valuable crops.
Sources:
Alisa Zapp Machalek, “Sea Snail Venom Yields Powerful New Painkiller”, The NIH Record, Nih.gov, Accessed 11 March 2011
Cristen Conger, “Can Venom Save Lives?” Discovery News, 3 August 2010, Accessed 11 March 2011
Emily Sohn, “FOR KIDS: Better living from scorpion venom” 22 September 2010, Science News, Accessed 11 March 2011
Kelly Dupree - My love of animals, especially cats, and my interest in science has led to a serious passion to write well researched articles.
