Agencies Posted online: Sunday, August 12, 2007 at 1241 hours IST
New Delhi, August 12: The poisonous venom of snakes like the black cobra and viper may provide a possible cure for cancer, according to a new research.
A team of scientists at the Drug Development Division in the India Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, has found that proteins present in snake venom can be used to prepare anti-cancer drugs.
The scientists are now trying to single out the proteins in the venom that have anti-cancer properties and inhibit the growth of malignant cells.
"The research can provide clues for development of anti-cancer drugs and our team is working on developing such drugs," Aparna Gomes, who led the team, said.
The scientists studied the anti-carcinogenic activities in the crude venom of Indian Monocellate Cobra and Russell's Viper on cancer of the skin, tumour (soft tissues) and blood in mice.
"Snake venom is a complex mixture of several toxic proteins and enzymes. These proteins not only inflict death to human beings, but can also be used for the treatment of cancer and many other diseases," Gomes said.
The study published in the Journal of Ethnophamacology gives an overview of various snake venom components that have prospects in health and diseases.
