Every year, venomous snakes kill thousands of people around the world. Most people want to avoid their poison. But some scientists do the opposite. They are working on ways to use venom to cure disease. Now, venom can be used to save lives.
There are many types of poison. Most poisons fall under two main categories: neurotoxins and haemotoxins.
The prefix 'neuro' refers to the body's nervous system and brain. Nerves bring information around the body to the brain. Neurotoxins are poisons that affect the body's nerves.
Usually, the brain controls the muscles. It communicates with them to tell them what to do. But venom confuses these communications. It often causes muscles to stop working.
But the good news is that scientists have found ways to use this venom for good. They have made concoctions that help patients suffering from diseases related to the brain.
Alzheimer's disease affects your memory. It makes you forget people, places, and other memories. It may be caused by proteins forming in spaces between the nerve cells. Snake venom can break down this protein.
Strokes happen when your brain does not get enough blood. If the brain does not get oxygen, brain cells begin to die. This may happen because of a blood clot. A blood clot is when your blood is too thick.
Scientists studied snake bite victims. They found that after being bitten, their blood did not clot. They found that injecting people with the venom could stop their blood from clotting too. Just like that, they found a way to make strokes less severe.
Haemotoxins can also be used to help cure human diseases. The prefix 'haemo' refers to blood in the body. They can cause the blood in the human body to stop working properly. This can make a person lose too much blood to live.
Some people's blood is too thin. Some people's blood cannot clot. This can cause many health problems. When your blood is thin, you may feel sick or dizzy. You may pass out. You may find it difficult to stand up.
Scientists can use venom to make new medicines to help these people. They use the venom to make people's blood thicker. That way, the blood is able to travel around the body.
Venom can also be used to cure cancer. Because venom is so powerful, it can kill cancerous cells. By doing this, it can remove cancerous tumours from the body. But it is not that simple. The venom also kills healthy cells too.
In the future, snake venom might be used to fight against HIV. Venom can stop viruses and infections from reproducing. It can easily kill a virus in the human body.
Finally, venom from sea anemones could be used to cure autoimmune diseases. Cells grow and target parts of the body. They see parts of the body as foreign and attack them. Venom can be used to stop these cells and prevent harm to the body.
It's easy to admire how powerful and amazing poisonous animals are. But you still might not want to get too close.