Venom from the world's deadliest snake - the black mamba, which can kill a person within half an hour, could actually be a painkiller at par with morphine, researchers say
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Anne Baron from the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology in Valbonne, France, and her colleagues, hunted through hundreds of compounds for one that blocks acid-sensing ion channels in nerves.
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These are key in a common pain pathway. The victorious compound turned out to be venom from the black mamba, New Scientist reported.
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Baron’s team then identified the proteins in the venom that blocked the ion channels, before naming them mambalgins and purifying them to produce a drug.
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A black mamba at night
Mice injected with the drug appeared to be significantly more resilient to pain as compared to those given a sham treatment.
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The researchers found that the drug did not affect the opioid receptors that are targeted by morphine but was just as effective in relieving pain.
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According to Baron, anyone taking the new drug might therefore avoid side effects associated with morphine, which include addiction and breathing problems.
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The study has been published in Nature.u00a0
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