Lizard venom can bring breakthroughs in coagulation treatment

Until now, scientists have created a series of drugs that use compounds discovered in the venom of snakes, frogs, snails, jellyfish and other animals to heal .

However, new research shows that lizard venom can also be a source of pharmaceutical compounds. Specifically, scientists at the University of Queensland believe that lizards can bring new treatments for blood clots.

Research on lizards in lizards is relatively new. Until recently, biologists thought that only a few lizards were poisonous. However, some new studies are surprising to see there are a large number of poisonous lizards.

Lizard venom can bring breakthroughs in coagulation treatment Picture 1

Bryan Fry, assistant professor at QU, said: "We now know that there are many lizards that are more toxic than we thought, including the iconic Komodo dragon - the world's largest lizard. " .

Fry and his colleagues spent a lot of time in the lab analyzing the venom of 16 species of lizards including Komodo dragons. Their analysis identified a number of new compounds that could potentially be used to treat stroke.

"By investigating the activity of the brown poison in lizards, we used them to break life-threatening blood clots and turn these compounds into life-saving drugs," Fry said. "

Lab tests show that lizard venom can target fibrinogen, an important protein to form blood clots.

Researchers analyzed in detail lizards in lizards published in Toxins magazine.