Venom in Medical News

Penn researchers use honeybee venom toxin to develop a new tool for studying hypertension

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have modified a honeybee venom toxin so that it can be used as a tool to study the inner workings of ion channels that control heart rate and the recycling of salt in kidneys. In general, ion channels selectively allow...

Peptide discovered in scorpion venom may hold key to secretory diseases

Researchers have discovered a peptide in scorpion venom that may hold the key to understanding and controlling cystic fibrosis and other secretory diseases. In the December 28 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, an international team of researchers describes how this novel peptide, ca...

Sea Snail Venom Paves Way for Potent New Painkiller

Washington, Boffins have used the magical properties of the deadly sea snail venom to create a drug that can kill pain in humans. The snail uses venom to paralyze passing fish, but scientists found that chemicals in the poison could also obstruct pain signals in the human brain. Ab...

Scorpion Venom may Help Treat Cancer

Scientists in the US have claimed that scorpion venom may help in the treatment of a wide range of cancers . Scorpions occur naturally in parts of Africa, America, India and the Caribbean. The majority of scorpions are harmless to human beings although the sting is extremely painful and req...

Painkiller Based on Sea Snail Venom Made Available in Britain

New painkiller, Prialt, based on the venom of a sea snail will be available in Britain from today. The drug Prialt, or ziconotide, has resulted from over// 20 years' of research by the scientist, Baldomera Olivera, a professor at the University of Utah. The advantage of Prialt is that it is...

Australian Snake Venom Can Arrest Bleeding During Surgery And Trauma

It has been found that the venom of Australian snakes can rapidly arrest bleeding during major trauma and vascular surgery.The finding could eventually pave way for // development of the next generation of therapeutic drugs for humans. Taipan venom has been found to contain high amounts of a ...

Bee Venom Effective In Reducing Inflammation

Bees may be of more use to humans than just for honey find researchers based on findings of a recent study . Low doses of bee venom was given to rats with advanced rheumatoid arthritis. The treatment resulted in // dramatic reductions of tissue swelling on affected paws. Researchers then examine...

Snail venom Found To Ease Pain In Cancer Victims

Laboratory research has found evidence that the venom that the snails inject to immobilize their prey might have beneficial effects // on some heart problems, strokes, central nervous system disorders and other ills. The latest study involved the experimental drug ziconotide, a laboratory-made eq...

Snake venom a treatment for digestive disease

Medical researchers from Irvene college,California report that proteins chemically related to snake venom and frog skin secretions may lead to the development of new treatments for a range of stubborn digestive disorders. The findings, mark the discovery of two naturally occurring human prote...

Brain Cancer Could be Safely Treated with Radioactive Scorpion Venom

On going study with radioactive version of scorpion venom protein showed possibilities of treating brain gliomas. Scientists at the Transmolecular Corporation//, Cambridge have developed a radioactive version of a protein resembling the yellow Israeli scorpion venom protein named TM-601, as a s...

Arthritis Pain Can Be Eased Using Snake Venom

Scientists have found that snake venom can be used for easing the debilitating pain from arthritis. // Naftali Primor, research and development manager at the Shulov Institute of Sciences (SIS) in Israel where the research is being carried out, believes that an analgesic based on snake venom ...

As Fire Ants Continue to Proliferate, Hospital-Proven Burn Anesthetic Brings Instant Relief for Bites, Stings

...n pivot around and continue to sting in circles, causing burning pain and excruciating itch to their victims, many of whom are children. Fire ant venom includes a potent alkaloid toxin, which causes severe, burning pain. Fortunately, the same anesthetic hospitals use on burn patients has been proven e...

UAB researchers draft 3-D protein map to aid stroke, cancer research

...ing further," Benos said. The study began with a toxin found only in the venom of the Trinidad chevron tarantula. In earlier laboratory research, this venom toxin proved capable of slowing neuronal death, inhibiting cancer growth an...

University of Arizona research on scorpion antivenom published in NEJM

...mbs and respiratory distress, all symptoms of nerve poisoning caused by the venom of the bark scorpion. The principal investigator of the study and lead ...zation. "This study told us that the dangerous effects of bark scorpion venom can be reversed quickly with the right antivenom," Dr. Boyer says. "One hun...

Scorpion Anti-Venom Speeds Children's Recovery

... of 6. "This study told us that the dangerous effects of bark scorpion venom can be reversed quickly with the right anti-venom," Dr. Leslie Boyer, principal investigator of the study and director of the venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology and Emergency Response Institute at The Unive...

Retirement Living TV Reveals: Sex Is The Real Fountain of Youth

...l methods to be treated with pig enzymes. The buzz on bee sting therapy and why some doctors are beginning to use bee venom in their practice. Best-selling author and anti-aging specialist, Nicholas Perricone, MD discussing how certain Superf...

FDA Warns About Weight Loss Products

...g, Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet, 7 Day Herbal Slim, 999 Fitness Essence, Imelda Perfect Slim, Perfect Slim, ProSlim Plus, Slim Express 360, Superslim, venom Hyperdrive 3.0, 2 Day Diet, 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming, 8 Factor Diet, Extrim Plus, Lida DaiDaihua, Perfect Slim 5x, Royal Slimming Formula, Slimtech,...

Stallergenes Partners With Catalent and the Medical House for Commercialization of Adrenaline Autoinjector in Europe

...d the ease-of-use for patients. The adrenaline autoinjector is designed for the emergency treatment of anaphylactic shock, mostly due to hymenoptera venom or food allergies, and for use by the patient himself or a relative in the event of an emergency. Catalent expects to submit the file of ADREFLEX(R)...

Keep Your Cool and Sanity This Summer!

...f the sting. 23 percent of adults believe that if they get a bee sting, they should squeeze out the stinger. Squeezing the stinger may cause venom in the sac to get into your body. To properly remove a stinger, do not pull out with your fingers or tweezers because this will release more...

CSHL scientists are part of consortium that sequences platypus genome

...males of the species are equipped with spikes on their hind legs through which they can deliver venom. The consortium found that reptile and platypus venom proteins have been co-opted from the same gene families. The scientists also deduced from genomic data that the platypus, despite being an egg-layer, ...

Researchers Publish Genome Sequence for Duck-Billed Platypus

...n electrosensory system it uses to forage for food underwater, and a thick fur coat adapted for icy waters. Males have hind leg spurs that can deliver venom that causes excruciating pain. The researchers found that the platypus genome contains about the same number of protein-coding genes as other mamma...

Cone snails and plants used to develop oral drug for pain

... Molecules from cone snail venom and African plants are being used by Queensland researchers as a blueprint ...eeks to begin to take effect. Peptides (small proteins) from cone snail venom have attracted recent attention from scientists, as they can target recepto...

Beauty.com Partners With Fashion Designer Jenni Kayne

...ar Blandi Olio di Jasmine Hair Serum L'Occitane Shea Butter Body Lotion Arcona The Eyes Have It, Regenerate PM Serum Seikisho Mask White DuWop Lip venom Jack Black Hand Healer, Industrial Strength Boscia Rose Blotting Linens Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On E...

EPA grant to UC engineering makes for a better environment

...aminated water specifically using sunlight and an environmentally friendly catalyst. Some of the cyanobacterial toxins are even more toxic than the venom produced by many poisonous snakes, says Dionysiou, associate professor of environmental engineering. These toxins have even been included in the list ...

Cell that triggers symptoms in allergy attacks can also limit damage, Stanford researchers find

...ab has shown mast cells can help corral rather than unleash distress. His team's previous research in 2006 found that mast cells help break down snake venom poison, and a study in 2004 revealed the cells helped mice survive severe bacterial infection. The new research is the first to investigate long-te...

Increase in the Rate of Food Allergy

...omes in young children, he said. One day we hope to be able to say that we have a way of desensitising to food, like we already can with hay fever and venom allergies. ...

Chilean President's Cousin Successfully Tests Allergy 'Knockout' Technique on Mice

...villains" in triggering allergic reactions. Acute symptoms like stuffy nose, rash and airway constriction, and lethal shock known from food or venom allergies occur when, as a result of exposure to allergens, mast cells react violently and release an enormous array of pro-inflammatory substances, o...

Fire Ants are Emerging Nuisance for Virginians

...kly by rushing forward and grasping onto the enemy with barbed mandibles. While still biting, these ants repeatedly sting their enemy, injecting toxic venom and leaving a small, acutely painful wound. A day or two later, small, blister-like pustules will develop on the victim, which may lead to secondary i...

Investigational Drug Being Pursued for the Treatment of Ischaemic Stroke

... stroke at the 16th annual European Stroke Congress in Glasgow, Scotland in the United Kingdom. Viprinex is a defibrinogenating agent derived from the venom of the Malayan pit viper. "The ancrod data presented this week in Glasgow draws positive conclusions that support a new dosing regimen for anc...

AAAAI Offers Advice on Stinging Insect Allergies

...st might also suggest allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy treatment. venom immunotherapy shots take effect within just a few months. venom immunotherapy is the closest thing to a 'cure' for allergic reactions. It i...

Brazil Spider Offers Hope for Those Suffering from Erectile Dysfunction

...rgia, Leite and colleagues separated the different components of the spider venom and ran tests on rats to eek out the erectile enhancer. Dubbed Tx2-6, the c... scientists suggest that a combination of a synthetic version of the spider venom with a drug like Viagra would result in a magnified effect. “So the ...

Black and White in ‘Shades of Grey

...nated against, // but the mother of all reasons is, the person’s skin color . Recently, the voyeuristic world reeled under the impact of the venom spewed on Shilpa Shetty by fellow contestants on UK’s reality show, ‘Celebrity Big Brother’. The participants, who were drawn from various sections of...

WHO on an Anti Rabies and Snake Bite Mission

...vels and affordability are some of the issues faced by the manufacturers of the sera. There is a steady decline in the number of manufacturers of anti venom against African snake bite. Hence global guidelines are being formulated to combat this issue. Educating the people about the snake bite, rabies...

Tidbits on Tarantula bites and fiery Pepper sensations!

...rch //it was established that the same nerves are sensitized when tarantula venom is introduced to mice as hot chili peppers when fed to them. This exper...ngs which has been reported by the online journal Nature. The tarantula venom and fiery chili pepper targets the same heat sensor on nerve cells. The res...

Health Benefits from the Ocean Snail

...ple with depression, addictions and Parkinson's disease may be benefited by venom from an ocean snail according to researchers at the University of Utah on M...ail researcher Baldomero "Toto" Olivera, found the synthetic version of the venom which can latch onto a brain receptor commonly activated by nicotine during...

New Carrier Developed To Deliver Drugs to Gliomas

...ain tumors such as gliomas is under investigation.// Synthetic scorpion venom is used as carriers for radioactive iodine. The first phase of the clinical...ic version of a peptide, or protein particle, which naturally occurs in the venom of the Giant Yellow Israeli scorpion. TM-601 binds to glioma cells and ...

New Way to Open Cellular Ion Channels, Implications for Drug Design

... Using an enzyme found in the venom of the brown recluse spider, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered a new way to open// molecular pores, cal...

Venomous Cone Snails Relieve Chronic Back Pain

...alled Sailors' Valentines: Their Journey through Time will be available to sign copies of the book. For years Olivera has been working with cone snail venom to develop a drug that would provide relief to people with chronic pain. He also has been working in his native Philippines. There are more than 500 s...

More Lizards, Including Pets, Found Venomous

...ity of Melbourne, lead author of the research, the venom is the perfect knockout punch by monitor lizards t... feeling of bite pain. They assume that lizard venom may have gone unnoticed for so long because it is ... The researchers isolated crotamine, the classic venom of rattlesnakes whose bite can be fatal to humans,...

Oral Edible vaccine for Allergy Vaccines

...present helps to counteract the allergen which is an antigen. Conventional antibody injections against allergy diseases such as hay fever, cat and venom allergies requires continuous monitoring after antibody therapy as the patients may develop adverse immune reactions. Researchers jointly from Uni...