November 4, 2016.
According to researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, the venom of the coral blue snake contains a substance capable of stopping the transmission of pain.
A powerful pain reliever
The coral blue snake is a formidable snake, it is one of the most dangerous animals in the world. His bite leads to a slow and painful death. However, the venom of this snake, native to South Asia, could be used as a powerful painkiller. This is what a study in the scientific journal reveals Toxins.
According to this work, the venom of this snake contains a toxin, calliotoxin, which can stop the transmission of pain, in the brain. ” The toxin called calliotoxin targets sodium channels, which are the heart of pain transmission Says Dr Bryan Fry of the University of Queensland and lead author of the study. ” Its venom delivers a massive shock triggering spasms throughout the prey’s entire body while the venom of other snakes works as a powerful sedative. “
Recover this toxin to soothe patients
This discovery allows researchers to think that one day we will be able to develop a drug thanks to this venom, to come to relieve the pain of the patients. For that, we should be able to recover this toxin and purify it. This analgesic would then be as powerful as morphine, but without its adverse effects. The track is therefore very promising.
This is not the first time that researchers have taken an interest in snake venoms to develop pain medications. According to a team of researchers from Inserm (National Institute for Health and Medical Research), black Mamba venom contains two toxins that are also able to stop the sensation of pain.
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