Centipede venom kills pain
Posted by staff / October 8, 2013 Chinese red-headed centipedechronic painclinical trialsGlenn King
A molecule in the venom of the Chinese red-headed centipede shows promise as a painkiller—potentially as effective as morphine.
“There are a number of FDA-approved drugs derived from venom components currently on the market, with several more in clinical trials or various stages of preclinical development,” says professor Glenn King, from the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience. “Our study suggests that centipede venoms, which to date have been largely unstudied, might provide a new source of potential drugs for treating chronic pain and other conditions.”
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: Eivind Undheim
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