Potential cancer treatment found in snake venom
Venom from a poisonous snake could be developed to make a drug to treat cancer, scientists in Hong Kong said Wednesday.
Tests on a protein taken from the venom of the sharp-nosed viper have shown it can reduce the size of colorectal tumours in mice by up to 28 per cent within a month.
The six-month study involving 18 cancerous mice was carried out by researchers at Hong Kong Baptist University.
In a separate study involving chicken embryos, researchers also discovered the protein, called ZK002, could reduce the growth of capillaries which feed nutrients to cancer tumours helping them grow.
Project coordinator Wendy Hsiao Wen-luan said suppressing these capillaries would have the effect of starving the tumour.
The preliminary findings have won the research team a further 3.9 million Hong Kong dollars (500,000 US dollars) in funding from the government's innovation and technology fund and Lee's Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd.
Hsiao said the next stage would be to validate the findings, clone the protein and assess whether it was also effective against other forms of cancer.
The sharp-nosed viper is found in China and has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer, is one of the most common cancers in developed countries with diets rich in red meats and animal fats being considered one of the risk factors.
In Hong Kong, the number of cases has been rising rapidly as the city switches to more fatty Western-style foods. Colorectal cancer accounts for 16.4 per cent of all cancer new cases, causing 1,686 deaths in 2008, second only to lung cancer which killed 3,497.
TKay
Thats good news, hopefully the validation of the findings will come out positive and we can finally cure this silent k!llerReport Abuse
eKapa
now the chinese they all the reasons to k'ill and eat the snakesthat is what they did to the Rhino's
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Into_Enje!
yah ne, Asians know their stuff, those people are always working hard......South Africans are spoiled b*rat.....depending on unions.....nx! talking about laziness.Report Abuse
KatakataEmaotoAditshepe
I knew it the chinese they dont rest if look for something and they get it,hallelujah amen.Works of Jehova Amen.
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SifisoHadebe
One man's fertilizer is another man's smelly manure.And one man's poison is another man's cancer cure.
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Shredder
Yep, that's Chinese for you. I believe they can crack it. In fact God, gave us many resources. Putting our minds in the right place we might even get the cure for AIDS. Thumbs up to the Chinese for the progress.Report Abuse
MuAfro
Aag maan Sowetan maan..@Into_Enje
South African are busy in Limpopo, last week I heard on radio about the sangoma who found a plant in Makgobaskloof mountains that has potential to destry the HIV virus.
The Sangoma gave the muti to a lady who was on Antivirals and all of a sudden the doctors can not find anything. So Wits is busy conducting tests on the plant as we speak.
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MORNACHIES
@MuAfro----This people are just seecking popularity .not long enough someone willcome and say GOATSPERMS are good for TB ...............THIS IS SHIT .................
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