Why Snake Venom Might Not Be All That Bad

1
Why Snake Venom Might Not Be All That Bad

• By Karlyn Jensen
• And Jacquie Scurlock

2
Introduction

• Snakes have been used medicinally since the 1st
  Century AD.
• At this time in China, they used snake skin to
  treat a variety of ailments, including
  hemorrhoids, sore throats, and eye infections.

3
Introductions

• China still uses snake materials for a variety of
  different things
• Skin problems
• Sore throat
• Rheumatic pain
• Appetite stimulant
• Hemorrhoids
• Eye infections
• Virility
• Bronchitis
• Leukemia
• Fever
• Whooping cough

4
Native American uses for Rattlesnakes

• Shed Skin
• Fever
• Smallpox
• Blood Cleanser
• Fat and Oil
• Aches
• Bruises
• Athritis
• Rheumatism
• Sciatica

• Powdered Rattle
• Leprosy
• Pustules
• Toothache
• Headaches
• Flesh
• Emphysema
• Tuberculosis

5
Introduction

• The use of snake materials in medicine finally
  made it to the U.S. in the 19th century, when
  Chinese railroad workers brought snake oil with
  them from China to rub on their swollen and
  painful joints.
• This led to the start of the modern medical
  investigation of the uses of snake materials,
  especially venom.

6
Introduction

• Although snake venom is very costly, it is often
  used in medical research.
• Venom from different types of snakes has been
  proposed to help treat asthma, blood clots, heart
  attacks, strokes, HIV, ALS, MS, AMN, cancer,
  epilepsy, and to work as analgesics.

7
Introduction

• It is estimated that 99 of the contents of snake
  venom are non-toxic.
• A crucial part of the study of snake venom is
  finding a way to detoxify the venom so that it
  can be researched and used in medical treatments.

8
Introduction

• We selected this topic because when most people
  think about snake venom, visions of debilitating,
  often deadly bodily reactions usually come to
  mind. This however, is not always the case. Venom
  can be used beneficially in a variety of
  situations. We were interested in exposing the
  positive side of venom, and learning more about
  its numerous uses.

9
Introduction

• This topic is of a great medical importance
  because it has the possibility of producing cures
  or treatments to a large number of diseases.
  Diseases such as cancer and HIV that have thus
  far not been curable may be curable in the future
  through the use of snake venom.

10
Results and Discussion
11
Antivenom

• Binds to and neutralizes venom, preventing
  further damage.
• Unfortunately, it does not repair the damage
  already done.
• 2 classes
• Monovalent effective against a specific species.
• Polyvalent effective against several different
  species.

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Antivenom

• Side effects
• Anaphylaxis an immediate severe life-threatening
  allergic reaction.
• Serum sickness a delayed immune response, a
  reaction to proteins in serum (antivenom) from an
  animal source.
• Antivenoms are usually given with anti-histamines
  and hydrocortisones.

13
Antivenom

• The United States has antivenom for pit vipers.
• But in the fall of 2009, the Coral snake
  antivenom will expire.
• The US will no longer have any antivenom for the
  Coral snake.
• Tiger snake
• Protein Notechis scutatus inhibitor.
• Neutralizes the venom of 6 other snakes.

14
Analgesic Effects

• One toxin, called najanalgesin, has been isolated
  from the Naja Naja Atra cobra. It has been shown
  to have significant analgesic effects in tests
  involving animals.
• Najanalgesin was the first cardiotoxin shown to
  have analgesic effects.

15
Analgesic Effects

• A toxin in the venom of the South American
  rattlesnake has been shown to also have analgesic
  properties.
• Even though this toxin works by binding to opioid
  receptors, it has not been shown to produce any
  tolerance or withdrawal symptoms, which is rare.

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Analgesic Effects

• The continued investigation of this toxin could
  revolutionize medicine with the invention of a
  pain killer with effects similar to that of
  Percocet, Oxycontin, or Vicodin, without the risk
  of tolerance or withdrawal.
• This development could significantly reduce the
  abuse of and addiction to pain killers.

17
Multiple Sclerosis

• The use of snake venom in the treatment of
  multiple sclerosis is still highly controversial,
  and many MS treatments involving snake venom are
  currently forbidden by the FDA.
• However, at least three different venom
  derivatives (PROven, RPI-78M, and Cobratoxin)
  have been shown in tests to help patients with MS.

18
Multiple Sclerosis

• PROven, a medication developed by Bill Haast,
  started to be prescribed by some doctors in
  Florida for a variety of diseases in the late
  1970s. It was shown to have great results,
  especially in patients with MS. The drug,
  however, had never gone through clinical testing,
  and was quickly banned by the FDA.
• It has been suggested that this medication could
  be used for arthritis, herpes, lupus, muscular
  dystrophy, Parkinsons and ALS.
• A drug similar to PROven, called Horvi MS9 is
  currently being sold legally in Germany for the
  treatment of such diseases.

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Multiple Sclerosis

• Nutra Pharma is currently in the development
  process of a drug called RPI-78M.
• This drug is being developed to treat MS, but is
  also expected to be useful in the treatment of
  myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy, and ALS.
• This medication has several positive features
  that may make it superior to other MS drugs
• It is not toxic, meaning it is not possible for
  the patient to overdose.
• It is stable for a shelf life of over 4 years at
  room temperature.
• It is easy to administer, and can be taken orally.

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Multiple Sclerosis

• Cobratoxin, which comes from the venom of the
  Thailand cobra, can be detoxified for human use
  with minimal side effects.
• It has been shown to have immunosuppressive,
  neuromodulatory, antiviral, and analgesic effects
  in patients with MS.
• Another drug class, which includes ancrod,
  batroxobin, and crotalase, treats MS by
  preventing fibrin from crossing the blood-brain
  barrier and collecting near myelin sheaths.

21
HIV

• Nutra Pharma is also involved in the development
  of another drug similar to RPI-78M that could be
  used to treat patients with HIV.
• This medication, called RPI-MN, works by
  preventing the entry of certain viruses into body
  systems especially viruses that cause
  neurological damage.

22
Cancer

• Venom is being used in research with numerous
  types of cancers.
• One example of this research is with breast
  cancer. Contortrostatin is a protein from
  Copperhead venom which has been shown to slow the
  growth of tumors and cancer cells, and prevent
  them from spreading to other parts of the body.

23
Cancer

• Studies in Australia are trying to show how venom
  can be used to cut off blood supply to tumors.
• Venom may become an even better cancer treatment
  than chemotherapy, because chemotherapy kills
  everything, both healthy and cancerous cells. But
  some venom derived treatments appear to be
  specific to certain cell types.

24
Strokes

• There is a medicine called t-PA that can be used
  to treat strokes, but it has to be administered
  within three hours after the stroke. The problem
  with that is that strokes are frequently not
  noticed right away. Because they impair brain
  function, and often prevent speech, it might be
  hours or even days before the effects of a stroke
  are noticed. By then, it is too late for the
  t-PA. A venom derivative called Viprinex, or
  ancrod, can be used to treat a stroke within six
  hours after, doubling the amount of time within
  which treatment may be administered.

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Strokes

• Ancrod comes from the venom of the Malayan Pit
  Viper.
• It works against a stroke in 3 ways
• It prevents the formation of new clots.
• It breaks down the already existing clots.
• It thins the blood, which increases blood flow to
  the brain.

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Strokes

• Ancrod is being tested in clinical trials
  worldwide, and has been shown to decease blood
  viscosity by 30-40. It also leads to decreased
  pain and increased physical mobility.
• Ancrod is also a treatment for - - - Deep vein
  thrombosis (formation of a blood clot in a deep
  vein) http//www.youtube.com/watch?vgGrDAGN5pC0
• -Chronic circulatory disorders such as
  Raynauds disease (uneven blood flow to digits).

27
Heart Attacks

• A common problem with angioplasties is that
  during the surgery, the break up of the plaque
  can lead to the formation of blood clots. One way
  to reduce the risk of this happening is to use a
  venom derivative called ReoPro. The IV form of
  this drug uses an integrin antagonist, which
  blocks the binding of integrin and fibrinogen to
  prevent blood clots.
• Another venom derivative, Aggrastat, called the
  Super aspirin, also works by preventing blood
  clots.

28
Coagulation

• Snake venom can have one of two effects on the
  coagulation process it can either promote rapid
  clotting, or prevent it completely.
• The promotion of rapid clotting is currently
  being investigated for use in traumas to prevent
  high volume blood loss.

29
ACE Inhibitors

• Snake venom also led to the development of ACE
  inhibitors.
• They were developed by using venom from the
  Brazilian snake.
• Ace inhibitors are used to treat high blood
  pressure and several other cardiovascular
  diseases.

30
Arthritis

• Researches in Israel are using viper venom to try
  to relieve the pain of arthritis. One doctor got
  this idea when he noticed that Russian immigrants
  brought salves with them made of viper venom that
  they used to soothe muscular and arthritis pain.
  Researchers there expect to be able to start
  marketing an arthritis salve made with viper
  venom within the next five years.

31
Anti-Aging

• A toxin called Syn-ake, which comes from the
  venom of the Temple Viper, has recently been
  added to at least two skin care products. This
  product helps to stop wrinkles by preventing the
  facial muscles from contracting. It seems to
  work. It had a smoothing effect on 80 of those
  in the clinical sample, and an anti-wrinkle
  effect on 73.

32
Over-All Health Benefits

• Bill Haast, the inventor of PROven, has been
  handling and raising snakes for years, and at the
  age of 85, he had been bitten 162 times, and
  claims to inject himself with a venom cocktail
  once a week. However, he also seems to be
  incredibly healthy. Today, as he nears 100, Bill
  still looks like he might be in his 60s, and is
  still running around like someone much younger.
  He also claims to have never been sick, not even
  with a cold, and to never have taken medicine,
  not even an aspirin. Although there is no
  scientific evidence proving that Haasts good
  health has anything to do with snake venom,
  clearly something is working in his favor. Haast
  is set to turn 100 next year, and is still
  reportedly in good health.

33
Bill Haast (center) at age 97.
34
Conclusions
35
Conclusion

• The aforementioned cases are only a few examples
  of the many areas in which snake venom is being
  investigated as a treatment method. Currently,
  venom is being tested in almost every area
  imaginable.
• The clear message from all of these cases is that
  venom does have several health benefits, and many
  more discoveries about its uses are sure to be
  made in the near future.

36
Conclusions

• After researching the many medicinal uses of
  venom, a definite take home message should be not
  to discount any possible treatment method. After
  all, if a material that can cause sudden death
  can also cause substantial healing, nothing
  should be overlooked when seeking out cures and
  treatments.

37
References

• 2008- Bill Haast honored by Miami-Dade Fire
  Rescue Venom Response Unit Photo.
  http//www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/100345393
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References Continued

• "Multiple Sclerosis Hope Through Research."
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• Nutra Pharma Corp. Drug Discovery Overview.
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  p
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39
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