|
|
|
! All documents are reproduced with the permission of the copyright
owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission. |
|
|
|
|
|
Citation
style: ProQuest Standard |
|
|
|
|
Document 1 of 1 |
|
|
|
Section: |
Life |
|
Publication
title: |
Toronto
Star. Toronto, Ont.: Oct 8, 2004. pg. F.03 |
|
Source
type: |
Newspaper |
|
ISSN/ISBN: |
03190781 |
|
ProQuest
document ID: |
709330901 |
|
Text
Word Count |
199 |
|
Document
URL: |
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=709330901&Fmt=3&clientId=17280&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
|
Abstract (Document Summary) |
|
"After
more than five years of hard work our scientists isolated and chemically
synthesized the analgesic properties of the rattlesnake's poison, which will
allow us to make what could be one of the strongest painkillers ever
produced," says [Otavio Mercadante]. He says that the potential
painkiller is 600 times stronger than morphine and that tests done with rats
indicate it is not addictive. |
|
Full Text (199 words) |
|
(Copyright (c) 2004 Toronto Star, All Rights Reserved. ) The poison of
rattlesnakes may one day lead to a painkiller more powerful than morphine -
and perhaps without the addiction, says the director of Brazil's Butantan
Institute, which produces antivenins and vaccines. But, stresses
Otavio Mercadante, years of development and testing lie ahead. "After
more than five years of hard work our scientists isolated and chemically
synthesized the analgesic properties of the rattlesnake's poison, which will
allow us to make what could be one of the strongest painkillers ever
produced," says Mercadante. He says that the potential painkiller is 600
times stronger than morphine and that tests done with rats indicate it is not
addictive. The drug has
still not been tested on monkeys, which is a crucial step before human testing. And even if
testing goes well, the institute projects the drug wouldn't reach the market
for at least 10 years. Others also
are researching the painkilling properties of various poisons. Israel's
Shulov Institute for Science developed the Zep-3 painkiller from viper
poison. And the Journal Of The American Medical Association reported this
year on the painkilling qualities of a synthetic form of a venom from the
Conus Magus cone snail, which lives in shallow tropical saltwater. |
|
|
|
Copyright © 2004
ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. Terms
& Conditions |
|
|
|
Please do not reply
directly to this email. Use the following link to contact ProQuest: http://www.proquest.com/division/cs-support.shtml |
