Can the world’s
deadliest snake venom act as a painkiller? When combined with a proportional
amount of morphine the Black Mamba’s venom would essentially work. According to
researcher Anne Baron at the
Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology in Valbonne, France, studied
hundreds of compounds for a particular compound that ‘blocks acid-sensing ion
channels in nerves’. A new analgesic, which was that one compound, was
discovered to be the venom of a Black Mamba. Before Baron and her colleagues
produced the purified drug, the team identified specific proteins that blocked
the ion channels. After the drug was produced a test was conducted with mice to
determine whether how resilient they were to pain. Mice injected with the
drug appeared to be significantly more resistant to pain compared with those
given a ‘sham treatment’. Morphine targets the opioid receptors, however this
drug does not but delivers the same effectiveness of pain relief. Baron intriguingly
concluded, due to the drug not targeting the opioid receptors many side
effects from morphine such as: addiction and breathing problems might not be
associated with the new drug.
* Information obtained at www.newscientist.com
* Pictures obtained at www.thedailystar.net & www.worldmostamazingrecords.blogspot.com
Figure 10.1
Figure 10.2
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