Puffer fish toxin for Cancer-related pain

Tectin, an investigational drug undergoing research in Canada, is an injectable form of TTX extracted from the puffer fish. TTX is short for tetrodotoxin, the poison produced by the puffer fish. In it's raw form tetrodotoxin is 100 times more poisonous than cyanide. In a modified form (Tectin) it can be used to treat Cancer-related pain.

WEX pharmaceuticals in British Columbia, Canada has completed five clinical trials with TTX to date, with more than 200 patients. The results have been promising so far, with the drug being well-tolerated in all 200 patients.

TTX is 2,000 times more potent than morphine and does not have the side effects of opioids. The drug is non-addictive, fast-acting, and lasts much longer than current pain killers.

WEX is planning to file a protocol for the drug with the US FDA before the end of the 2010 year. We can expect to hear more about this drug and it's approvals/disapprovals in the next few years.

To read more about TTX and WEX pharmaceuticals, click here.

One more about venom

Here is a link from Animal Planet about deadly creatures and what their venom could mean for the future.

Gaboon Viper venom could treat circulatory disorders

I know, I know, I may be over-doing it with the snake stories. But, honestly, stories like this are fascinating. Each breed of venomous snake has a different venom - imagine if we could harness ALL of the qualities and use the venom to cure human diseases!

Gaboon Vipers, native to Africa, have the longest fangs of any snake in the world. While they are typically docile creatures, their bite is one of the most painful and dangerous in the African rain forest. The venom contains proteins that cause blood vessels to spill their contents into the surrounding tissues. The proteins cause spontaneous hemorrhages in major organs and can quickly lead to heart failure.

So why take a risk with such a deadly venom? Check out this article to find out!

Here is a link to a video about harnessing Gaboon Viper venom and the importance of protecting them.

In Loving Memory...

Vegas, my inspiration for this blog, crossed the Rainbow Bridge last week...

Run free sweet baby, we all miss you SO very much!

Horses for Autism?

We've all heard the stories...but can horses really help children diagnosed with Autism?

Isaacson says Betsy, his son's horse, is the only thing that has been able to calm down his toddler son, Rowan. Rowan was diagnosed with autism when he was only two years old. He was having up to 12 tantrums a day.

When Rowan accidentally wandered into the pasture and rolled under Betsy, Betsy automatically accepted him. Isaacson soon figured out that if Rowan rode Betsy with him, the horse's stride actually calmed his son down. Isaacson has been taking Rowan riding ever since.

Check out more on this inspiring article from ABC and formulate your own opinion on the hot topic!

University of Minnesota using Immunotherapy to suppress canine brain tumors

Check out this article from Ohlfest Brain Tumor Lab at the University of Minnesota. The vet school has developed a successful method for treating canine brain tumors that they hope to one day use with humans.

There’s Nothing Common about the Common Brown Snake

The venom from an Eastern brown snake is the second most toxic of any land snake worldwide. The small snake produces 12 times the toxicity of the Indian cobra and accounts for approximately 60 percent of all snake bite deaths in Australia.

Yet, the deadly reptile that has caused 24 of the last 40 snake bite deaths in Australia has the potential to save thousands of lives worldwide.

Researching the effects of venom in deadly reptiles is fairly new, but scientists are eager to begin studying all types of snakes, hoping that many will hold the key to dangerous and lethal diseases. As the results of these studies are proving to hold key medical value, snake venom and antivenom research will become increasingly important.

In a recent study that began in January 2010, brown snake venom is showing potential as a diagnostic test for lupus anticoagulants, a disease that can cause miscarriages, cancer, serious infections, cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

The venom of the Eastern brown snake exhausts the blood’s ability to clot, holding the potential for treating patients prone to strokes. It also causes blood vessel dilation, which could replace more dangerous treatments for patients at risk for heart attacks.

Peter Mirtschin, research fellow in the division of health studies at the University of South Australia, has recently begun studying Textillianum, a compound from brown snake venom. Mirtschin believes that the Textillianum is the compound that will break down blood clots quickly and effectively.

It seems to be a general rule of thumb that the more powerful the venom, the more potential the venom holds for the pharmaceutical world. “The smallest brown snake involved in a human death was 7 inches long,” said Brian Bush, manager of SNAKES Harmful & Harmless. “The victim was a young, pregnant woman.”

Brian believes that studies will only continue to prove even more beneficial components of brown snake venom and that one day, the antivenom will be synthesized and mass produced for the medical market.

In recent years, researchers have made leaps and strides in studying brown snake venom. Stephen Earl, manager of research and development for Venomics, is currently conducting a study on an intravenous investigational drug derived from brown snake venom. The drug is proving to be a healthy systemic clotting agent to use in patients with internal bleeding and hemorrhagic strokes.

Holding the potential to help stroke victims, heart attack victims, and diagnose lupus anticoagulants, brown snake venom is quickly rising to the top of many toxicity and pharmaceutical study reports. Heart attacks and strokes alone prove fatal to more than 12 million people each year. If studies on brown snake venom can produce qualifying results, doctors will be able to save millions of lives each year with drugs that have relatively few side effects.

From the beginning...

This blog is in no way related to forced animal research, but rather focused on what we can learn from animals. Animals hold medical secrets that could one day change the world. Venom may stop strokes, Stonefish could produce antivenom for various poisons, and Lionfish could potentially unlock the secret to safer heart disease medication. This blog isn't solely about what animals can produce in human medications, but also about what we can learn from illnesses and diseases harbored by even the most domestic of animals. What can we learn from treating brain tumors in dogs? Or maybe vaccinating against Leukemia in cats? Could this one day be transferred to human use and save millions of lives?