Poison Found Against Cancer

A protein extracted from the venom of the rattlesnake acts exclusively on melanoma cells and inhibits tumor growth. New drugs to fight the cancer may be possible.
Poison Found Against Cancer

A substance extracted from the venom of the rattlesnake can increase the life expectancy of patients with skin cancer, according to experiments conducted by Brazilian researchers so far in laboratory mice.

Chromatin, a protein isolated from the venom of this snake , increased by up to 70 percent survival of mice with skin cancer (melanoma), said the Butantan Institute, the Brazilian public institution responsible for the discovery medical studies.

Protein also helped significantly slow tumor growth or even completely inhibit its formation as the Butantan, an institute linked to the Ministry of Health of the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo.

Unpublished study leaders discovered that the protein is capable of inducing cell death but their toxic action is unique on melanoma cells,  it does not affect other cells of the organism.

The Butantan Institute,  specialized in the study of poisonous animals such as snakes, spiders and scorpions, has excelled in the development of different medicines and vaccines from substances extracted from poisons.

According Butantan researchers, chromatin has important advantages in comparison with other drugs for treating cancer because it is easily soluble in various substances and which does not cause severe allergic reactions.

The substance also apparently not interfere in the process of cell division of normal cells, in contrast to other anti-cancer drugs, that accumulate within the tumor.

This chromatin because only about 24 hours remains within the tumor.

This same feature as the Butantan, suggests development of a future drug which should only be applied in a daily dosage for treating cancer.

As the substance unlike cancer cells from normal, researchers also are testing as a biotechnological tool to detect these differences and help in developing new drugs to combat cancer.

"That way we show that chromatin serves as a prototype for the development of new drugs with similar properties," said Irina Kerkis researcher, project coordinator, was quoted in the statement.

The researchers admit they still need further testing in animals and even in humans to think about the possibility of developing a new drug.

The priority, however, is able to synthesize the protein, ie produce laboratory without removing the poison before experiencing in humans.

"Since then we perform the clinical trials (in humans), since all the results are successful. We have drugs for melanoma and other cancers in until about five years, "according Kerkis.