Scorpion venom could be the key to reducing heart bypass failures, according to new research.
A study by Leeds University has found that a toxin in the venom of the Central American bark scorpion (Centruroides margaritatus) is at least 100 times more potent at preventing the most common cause of bypass graft failure than any other known compound.
The research, published online in Cardiovascular Research, shows margatoxin’s potential for preventing neointimal hyperplasia, which is a blood vessel’s natural response to injury.
Professor David Beech, from the university’s Faculty of Biological Sciences, explained how when a vein is grafted onto the heart during a bypass procedure the injury response kicks in as the vein tries to adapt to the new environment and different circulatory pressures.
The bark scorpion is not deadly but has a painful sting
This growth of new cells helps to strengthen the vein but the internal cell growth restricts blood flow and ultimately causes the graft to fail.
During the surgery a healthy artery or vein from another part of the body is connected to the blocked coronary artery. The new passage routes oxygen-rich blood around the blockage to the heart muscle.
However, the bypass can fail if the vein graft becomes blocked. An obstruction can develop if the body’s injury response causes too much cell growth.
Now scientists at the University of Leeds have found that the toxin margatoxin, which is found in the Central American bark scorpion, could provide a solution.
Research, published online in Cardiovascular Research, found the toxin to be at least 100 times more potent than any other compound at preventing vein graft failure.
It works by suppressing the blood vessel’s natural response to injury so keeping the vein clear.
Professor Beech said the potency of the margatoxin in suppressing the injury response took the team by surprise.
He said: “It’s staggeringly potent. We’re talking about needing very few molecules in order to obtain an effect.”
Professor Beech, who is Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology in the Institute of Membrane and Systems Biology, said margatoxin would probably be unsuitable as a drug that could be swallowed, inhaled or injected. But, he said, it could potentially be taken forward as a spray-on treatment to the vein itself once it has been removed and is waiting to be grafted onto the heart.
According to the British Heart Foundation 25,000 coronary artery bypass grafts are carried out each year in the UK and in successful procedures they typically last around 10 to 15 years.
The Central American bark scorpions are native to Central and South America and are usually about 5cm to 8cm long. The venom is not deadly to humans but has a painful sting which causes swelling and tingling.
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Lizards could be the source of novel venoms that may be used to treat high blood pressure.
Bryan Fry of the University of Melbourne who led researchers from Switzerland, Israel and US said: “The results obtained…emphasise the largely untapped drug design and development potential of lizard venoms.”
He will now focus on transforming the valuable lizard venom into a a drug that could ultimately help sufferers of heart disease, the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics reports.
“We only recently discovered that venom in lizards was not restricted to the gila monster and beaded lizard, but it is in fact much more widespread – so we set out to examine this unique group, and sure enough we discovered completely novel toxins,” Fry said, according to a university statement.
“We showed a great diversity of toxins in anguimorph venoms. The drug design potential of these novel venoms is highlighted by the fact that three of these new toxins act to lower blood pressure.”
The huge-scale study took four years to complete and involved collecting venom from lizards all over the world, followed by complex lab studies to analyse the properties of the venom.
“It was a huge undertaking but the result is well worth the effort – we have discovered completely novel venoms, as well as shed light on the evolution of venom systems in animals,” Fry said.