A group of British and Dutch chemists led by a professor at the Liverpool School of Tropical
After this, they suggested that drugs,created to treat bacterial infections or combat the effects of heavy metal poisoning, can neutralize enzymes from snake venom. For example, from the anti-cancer drug marimastat and dimercaprol, a drug that removes heavy metals from the body.
The mixture of these drugs worked: it can reduce the concentration of zinc ions in the solution, which are critical for the venom of vipers and their relatives. All studies were carried out on mice.
Experiments have shown that this drug combinationprotected all mice from the poison of all snakes, except for the Asian chain vipers. The venom of these snakes killed about 20% of the rodents, even when using the antidote. If these three drugs were used together with nafamostat, a fast-acting anticoagulant, then the mice were protected from all poisons.
Scientists hope to improve their inexpensive antidote and use it en masse to neutralize bites of all types of vipers.
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