Bat saliva shows promise for saving stroke victims

Commercial Appeal.com ^ | 11/29/03 | ap

[CFW]

Bat saliva shows promise for saving stroke victims By The Associated Press November 29, 2003

NASHVILLE - Last March, Margie McGregor pulled a pan of muffins out of the oven, and her right arm went limp. Her left leg gave out and she stumbled. She had suffered a massive stroke.

Today, the 78-year-old woman is gardening and taking 2-mile walks without a hint of a limp.

She says bat saliva saved her.

McGregor was part of a study at St. Thomas Hospital and 17 other medical centers nationwide of a drug called Desmoteplase, a synthetic version of a substance found in vampire bat saliva.

The new drug may have broken up McGregor's clot and saved her from permanent brain damage.

The study is double-blind, meaning that neither doctors nor patients knows who gets the drug. But McGregor is certain she got Desmoteplase.

Dr. Michael Kaminski, medical director of the St. Thomas stroke program, said vampire bat saliva contains a substance that prevents blood from clotting so that the bats can drink their fill.

Once the stuff of B-horror flicks, the furry little bloodsuckers have become the darlings of medical research for producing what might be today's most effective clot-buster.

The FDA's only currently approved clot breaker for stroke victims is a drug called tPA. Like Desmoteplase, it's administered intravenously.

When a clot begins to starve a patient's brain of oxygen-rich blood, there's no time to waste before getting to a hospital. But tPA can be given safely only within three hours of a stroke.

Only 5 percent of patients make it to a hospital within three hours of a stroke, Kaminski said.

The big advantage of Desmoteplase is that it can be given up to nine hours after a stroke. That would cover 20 to 30 percent of stroke victims, including McGregor.

"Overall, it's an exciting trial," Kaminski said. "If this drug comes out to be positive, then it is the next major breakthrough since the approval of tPA in 1996."

The drug still must undergo years of testing to determine its effectiveness and safety

[EggsAckley]

Holy bat-spit, Batman!!

[mcg1969]

The real challenge is actually convincing a bat to spit on you.

[Paul Atreides]

I'd hate to have to extract it...

[Porterville]

Sounds like something from McBeth

[tet68]

They say that dogs don't get cavities, something in their saliva, so if you gargle with dog saliva........Look Ma, no cavites,.....say, throw that ball for me, will ya, will ya, will ya!

[tet68]

Sounds like something from McBeth


You sure that wasn't Lady Hillery! frantically
scrubbing a blue dress......"Out Out damned white spot!"

[pabianice]

Perfect! Hillary's post-senate gig is assured...

[xp38]

Paging Ozzy Osbourne

[radiohead]

This is interesting stuff. But what I always wonder in these circumstances is - who thinks to do reserach on bat saliva??

On the other hand, my endo sees great promise in the new diabetes drug created from gila monster saliva. She thinks it will be on the market in a year. Kinda cool.

[skeptoid]

Thanks for the post.

A few years ago I was given tPA during a heart attack. The hospital billed the one dose at $5,270.00 some dollars.

I wonder if bat spit might be cheaper?

[basil]

ping

[dozer7]

"Thanks for the post.

A few years ago I was given tPA during a heart attack. The hospital billed the one dose at $5,270.00 some dollars.

I wonder if bat spit might be cheaper?"

I prefer leach spit.

[lainde]

bttt