Venom News and Research

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WHO tackles rabies, snake bites and scorpion stings

Although more than 12 million people each year are bitten by dogs or snakes, or stung by scorpions, the world's capacity to treat them is inadequate.

9 Jan 2007

New Purdue biochip may speed drug development

Purdue University researchers have developed a biochip that measures the electrical activities of cells and is capable of obtaining 60 times more data in just one reading than is possible with current technology.

20 Oct 2006

Kenya approves first clinical trial of herbal product used to treat HIV/AIDS

The Kenyatta National Hospital Ethics and Research Board recently approved the first human clinical trial in Kenya of an herbal product to treat HIV/AIDS, Kenya's Nation reports.

11 Sep 2006

Some Yellow Jackets cause more severe allergic reactions than others

Allergists at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have concluded that the sting severity is determined not by the calendar but by the species of insect doing the stinging.

15 Aug 2006

New method of delivering a dose of radioactive iodine

A new method of delivering a dose of radioactive iodine - using a man-made version of scorpion venom as a carrier - targets deadly brain tumors called gliomas without affecting neighboring tissue or body organs.

7 Aug 2006

'Scorpion venom' zaps aggressive brain tumours

Researchers in the U.S. have come up with a "man-made" scorpion venom which they say targets deadly brain tumours called gliomas without affecting neighboring tissue or body organs.

31 Jul 2006

Genetically-engineered antivenom to improve the treatment of snake bite

Important breakthrough in using DNA sequencing rather than actual snake venom as the means to generate antivenom.

27 Jun 2006

Taipan venom may stop excessive bleeding during vascular surgery

A blood-clotting protein in taipan venom has been identified by Queensland University of Technology PhD researcher Liam St Pierre to rapidly stop excessive bleeding during vascular surgery and major trauma.

9 Mar 2006

Venom of marine cone snails may provide an improved treatment for neuropathic pain associated with diabetes

A cone snail toxin discovered by Melbourne researchers has proven to have great potential for easing pain and could provide an improved treatment for neuropathic pain associated with diabetes.

12 Jun 2005

Nature’s most sophisticated biological weapon

Nature’s most sophisticated biological weapon, snake venom, largely evolved from bits of body parts a Melbourne researcher has found.

1 Mar 2005

Taipan venom used as a new drug to treat heart failure

A venom component from the Taipan, the world’s deadliest snake, is being developed by Brisbane biotechnology company ElaCor, as a new drug to treat heart failure.

23 Feb 2005

New painkiller was discovered in natural form in venomous snails in 1979

The natural form of Prialt – a new drug for severe pain approved this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – was discovered at the University of Utah in 1979 by an incoming freshman studying toxins produced by cone snails.

30 Dec 2004

Natural honey-bee products may have applications in cancer treatment

Natural honey-bee products such as propolis, royal jelly, caffeic acid, honey and venom may have applications in cancer treatment and prevention, say Croatian researchers in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture this month.

3 Dec 2004

Venom from one of the world’s deadliest snakes is being developed as a new drug to treat heart failure

“The team has isolated a unique set of active molecules from Taipan venom and research shows they are extremely effective at easing the heart’s workload,” he said.

29 Nov 2004

Cells linked to asthma and eczema also help cure deadly illness in mice

Mast cells are immune cells known mostly for their unwanted effects: they cause the wheezing of asthma, the itching of eczema, the sneezing and runny nose of hay fever and, in extreme cases, the life-threatening shock of anaphylaxis.

20 Nov 2004

Mast cells can provide protection from a potentially deadly condition known as sepsis

14 Nov 2004

Study reveals anti-arthritic effects of bee venom

Since ancient times, healers have practiced apitherapy, the use of honeybee products for curative purposes.

4 Nov 2004

Scientists develop rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a pair of rapid-fire tests for botulinum toxin, a feat that could underpin new technologies to thwart bioterrorism and spur the development of agents to blunt the toxic action of the world's most poisonous substance.

29 Sep 2004

New culprit behind the brain injury suffered by stroke victims

Researchers have uncovered a new culprit behind the brain injury suffered by stroke victims. Their new study, published in the Sept. 17 issue of Cell, links brain cell damage to a rise in brain acidity following the oxygen depletion, or ischemia, characteristic of stroke.

18 Sep 2004

Bee stings may provide a solution to overcome MRSA superbugs

Bee stings may provide a solution to overcome the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in bacteria according to new research presented Monday by Belfast scientists at the Society for General Microbiology’s 155th Meeting at Trinity College Dublin.

7 Sep 2004