Killer snake leads to Painkillers

             I have never been one to be terrified of snakes. As long as I am not face-to-face with one (that is actually dangerous) I am good. But, I never thought that they would contribute anything particularly useful to my life either - I guess in both of these cases I was wrong.

            When watching a video of a black mamba, one of the most dangerous and venomous snakes in the world, I wanted to crawl into my bed and never venture outdoors again (This is a wee bit of an exaggeration/overreaction seeing as how they are found in Africa). The Black mamba is not only deadly, its venom can kill an adult human within half an hour, they are also scary fast - some clocking in at 12.5 miles an hour. These snakes are so scary that in many African cultures their lethalness has been exaggerated. It was due to all of this that I was so shocked when I found out that these snakes could be benefiting humans and could be the source of a new, very effective human painkiller.

            Recently, French researchers have discovered that within the venom of a Black Mamba, there are peptides - called mambalgins. These peptides are fascinating and potentially very useful because unlike traditional morphine they do not seem to cause respiratory problems or have a tolerance build-up over time. The researchers found that these peptides "relieve pain by blocking acid-sensing ion channels in the skin and central nervous system." [read article -here]

            The part that has me worried though is the way in which this painkiller was discovered and tested. In this study, researchers injected one group of mice with traditional morphine and another group of mice with a painkiller derived from the venom. It was found that the group with the mamba painkiller had a similar pain tolerance.

            The mice were exposed to high temperatures, and while painful, they are not harmful? That doesn't make much sense to me. I understand the necessity of animal research, but I can't help but feel a little bad for the mice. I look forward to seeing what researchers can develop from this and how it can help us. I also look forward to hearing from all of you!

Partial scientific article -here

Discover magazine article -here

Scientific American blog -here

Watch a cool video about a Black Mamba below.