Radioactive scorpion venom may be used to fight cancer
Health physicists have established a safe procedure which is for brain cancer therapy using radio active versions of a certain protein that is found in scorpion venom. This development is being done to help cultivate a new therapy for brain cancer. This venom which is produced by the yellow Israeli scorpion attaches to the cells of a specific incurable brain cancer known as gliomas. Scientists have created a radioactive version of this venom which they have named TM-601.
The venom contains an artificial version of the venom protein which is attached to a radio active substance called iodine 131. When this venom enters the bloodstream, it attaches to the gliomas cells. Upon attaching to the cells the iodine 131 then releases radiation which kills the cancerous cells.
This compound made by the physicists have enabled treatment for high-grade gliomas that are found in about 17,000 people a year. These gliomas cause death in most patients within the first year of diagnosis. In order to receive the treatment, patients are usually injected with the compound and don't usually have to receive chemotherapy or radiation afterwards. The first earliest trials using this venom on cancer patients have showed potential signs for treating the cancer as well as extending the survival rate of the patient.
posted by cmt ( 8 )
posted by PWH @ 2:12 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Do you happen to have the link to this, or perhaps you could tell me your sources?
I'm really interested to know more about the procedures done to test the patients, but at the same time I'm skeptical as to how safe it would be. They are after all, dealing with radiation and venom.
Very interesting post by the way.
posted by:
kkaye
This article presents a very exciting point especially to people who have been affected by this kind of cancer first hand. I am curious to know if this treatment is applicable to any other types of cancer or maybe the percentages of patients who have been cured or their life prolonged. Does this treatment just allow the patient a little more time to live or is this a potential cure? I am also curious as to the negative efects of this venom on the patient. However, this article seems like another promising step toward defeating cancer.
Posted by BRW
This is definetly a very interesting topic, nice choice! I also would like to see the link for this if you have it. Did it mention how they even thought of using snake venom for this kind of treatment?
Posted by: TML
This is an awesome discovery. Although it has just been first tested, thats amazing that it may be only taking a year to cure the cancer. The amount of radiation that is in it actually doesnt cause any side effects? And the venom doesnt cause any further problems in the body?
thats good stuff, i'de say
posted by Abbott
Definitly good info and good news if it works and can be sold as an actual treatment. Maybe this will make physicians look more at natural treatments from animals,like venom from different species. Otherwise I don't see how this has anything to do with animal behavior. In this case the spider is just a chapter of this discovery. No actual experiments were done on the animal to understand it's behavior.
posted by AAH
Wow that's a really good idea and a great discovery. I'm wondering how the radioactive venom knows to differentiate between cancer cells and other types of cells. That seems to me like a very serious condition if most people die within one year of diagnosis. This cancer is definately one of the worst I guess. It's almost like you barely have enough time to take action upon findding out. Nice post, interesting.
Post a Comment
<< Home