Scorpion venom could replace morphine as painkiller I

Scorpion venom is notoriously poisonous but it can potentially replace dangerous and addictive painkillers like morphine, says a new study.

Michael Gurevitz, professor, Tel Aviv University’s (TAU) Department of Plant Sciences, is investigating new ways for developing a novel painkiller based on natural compounds found in scorpion venom.

These compounds have gone through millions of years of evolution and some show high efficacy and specificity for certain components of the body with no side-effects, he says.

Peptide toxins found in scorpion venom interact with sodium channels in nervous and muscular systems - and some of these sodium channels communicate pain, says Gurevitz.

“The mammalian body has nine different sodium channels of which only a certain subtype delivers pain to our brain,” adds Gurevitz.

“We are trying to understand how toxins in the venom interact with sodium channels at the molecular level and particularly how some of the toxins differentiate among channel subtypes.”

“If we figure this out, we may be able to slightly modify such toxins, making them more potent and specific for certain pain mediating sodium channels,” Gurevitz continues.

“With this information, engineering of chemical derivatives that mimic the scorpion toxins would provide novel pain killers of high specificity that have no side effects.

In his research, Gurevitz is concentrating on the Israeli yellow scorpion, one of the most potent scorpions in the world. Its venom contains more than 300 peptides of which only a minor fraction has been explored.

The reason for working with this venom, he says, is the large arsenal of active components such as the toxins that have diversified during hundreds of millions of years under selective pressure.

During that process, some toxins have evolved with the capability to directly affect mammalian sodium channel subtypes whereas others recognise and affect sodium channels of invertebrates such as insects, says a university release.

This deviation in specificity is a lesson on how toxins may be manipulated at will by genetic engineering, he says.

Children: The End of Tears?

The management of body pain in children is only beginning to enter the normal practice of medicine who until recently regarded as little or not sensitive. Despite constant efforts, paediatricians require more time and staff to be really effective.

Children and infants feel pain, at least as much and perhaps more than adults, and should be relieved, even for small operations. This seems obvious but it's actually a finding that medicine has made recently. In fact, until the mid-80s, scientists believed that the nervous system of newborns is not developed enough to convey painful information. Now it is, however, acknowledged that early exposure to pain leaves an indelible mark which aggravates all the painful sensations felt in the future. The injustice suffered by children cope with the pain no longer has any purpose.

Pain unknown
If the pain of children is known scientifically, it is not always well supported, including lack of adequate treatment. There is indeed little pediatric versions, lower dose and easier to administer. Recognizing the importance of this issue, Bernard Kouchner had provided in its three-year plan to fight against the pain launched in 1998 to convince the major laboratories embarking on this path.

Few treatments tailored
Besides the shortage of appropriate drugs, the management of pain the child faces the unresolved problem of the evaluation. "An infant or young child who does not speak, can express his grief by crying and a big noise but we now know a sad child and may still be in great suffering," said Dr. Chantal Wood. In fact, pain specialists mainly lack of time to read all the signs and take charge. "Treat the pain of a child is to first take time. Examine and listen to a child, explain to parents what we can do and overcome their reluctance to morphine, for example, surround the child, console, all it takes considerable time and therefore staff, "