Posted on 09/08/2009 6:56:46 PM PDT by Steelfish
The little blood-sucker that can save lives
PAT HAGAN 08th September 2009
Thousands of people who have had, or are at risk of, a heart attack could be saved by a new drug made from a chemical produced by blood-sucking ticks. The drug, called Variegin, contains a man-made version of an anti-clotting chemical found in ticks from Africa and Central America.
Once the tiny insects have latched on to their human or animal prey, they release the chemical to stop blood from clotting and allow them to feed for longer. Scientists have replicated an anti-clotting chemical produced by ticks which could slash the risk of heart attack.
Now a team of scientists from Britain, Singapore and Slovakia have discovered it might also slash the risk of heart attacks by stopping blood clots from forming. They have developed a drug containing a synthetic form of the blood-thinning chemical that is up to 70 times more powerful than the 'natural' form produced by the ticks. Initial tests show it is not only highly effective as an anticlotting agent, but potentially longer-lasting and safer than some existing drugs.
Every year, around 270,000 people in Britain suffer a heart attack, and coronary disease remains Britain's biggest killer. About a third of heart attack patients die before reaching hospital, often because they have delayed seeking help. Heart attacks occur when a clot forms and shuts off the supply of blood to cardiac muscle. Clotting is the body's natural reaction to injury, designed to stem blood loss. But clots that form when there has been no injury can wreak havoc throughout the body, not just on the heart.
If they reach the brain, they can cause a stroke, or if they restrict blood flow to the lungs, they can cause an often fatal condition called a...
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Always interesting to see where you can find useful medicines.
I remember about 10-15 years back some researchers discovered the venom from a type of sea snail could help lower the tolerance threshold for patients receiving painkillers. It allowed the patients to reverse the tolerance buildup and made the painkiller more effective in severe cases (terminal cancer, etc.)
IIRC, there’s also been some work studying bee venom as a possible treatment (not cure) for arthritis.
Good article, btw. Thank you for posting it.
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