Venom helps hearts
Queensland research on the venom of the world’s deadliest land snake, the Inland Taipan, could form the basis of a new drug to treat congestive heart failure, a condition which kills at least 3000 Australians yearly.
Professor Paul Alewood of the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) is working with the venom of the Inland Taipan, which grows to 2.5 metres in the arid, sparsely settled deserts of western Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Professor Alewood is the project’s principal researcher. With Melbourne’s Dr Geoff Head from the Baker Heart Research Institute, he has formed the joint venture company Elacor. It is developing new congestive heart failure drugs from a class of molecules called natriuretic peptides present in the Taipan venom.
Elacor has received a $250 000 Industry Start Up Scheme grant from the Queensland Government for the project.
While it is in its early days, Professor Alewood’s team is very encouraged by the project results to date.
“At this stage our lead molecule has the ‘right properties’ on cells and tissues. In 12 to 18 months we’ll know if the drug works on specific animal models that mimic the disease state,” he said.
“Then we’ll proceed to human tests.”
Last reviewed 19 January 2006