Scorpions, Like Most Venomous Creatures, Are The Source Of The Cures To The Very Ills They Cause

Health.

Deathstalker venom: from poison to cure? - for centuries, the desert - dwelling arachnids known as scorpions have been seen as creatures of dark repute. The secretive nature of the species has kept most humans from observing them thoroughly. Their form is alien - looking to most humans, giving an air of otherworldliness.

Even if there were those who knew where to look, the venom in the scorpion' s stingers often sent fools scampering for pain relief within seconds of being stung. - however, there are more aspects to the scorpion and its venom than pain and the need for pain relief and anti - venom. There are also the unlucky who suffer from agonizing pain and slow torment until the venom takes its course and leaves them dead. Scorpions, like most venomous creatures, are the source of the cures to the very ills they cause. One particular scorpion' s venom, is being studied, however very closely by some medical research groups. The best pain relief and antidote to scorpion venom is not some random medication, but anti - venom derived directly from the scorpion' s own lethal mix. The Deathstalker, also known as the Israeli Desert Scorpion, is easily the most venomous scorpion in the world.

The venom is surprisingly only rarely lethal in humans, unless a person is stung and gets extreme amounts of the poison. - the venom is a potent neurotoxin that causes intense pain, usually due to muscle spasms, and slow failure of the entire nervous system. However, researchers have also found that the venom might have some use in medicine, to save lives, quite ironically. It is unknown what specific component of the venom is interacting with the cancerous cells, but testing has shown that patients have shown that the pain is not as intense if the venom was applied. The first possibility stems from the discovery that Deathstalker venom was found to be effective pain relief for cancer patients. However, researchers are still attempting to eliminate all of the other possible factors, especially since the venom usually causes pain in patients without cancerous cells. There is a compound in the Deathstalker' s potent venom, that has shown, the peptide chlorotoxin potential in being used as a treatment for brain tumors in humans.

A related field of research to the one above is being conducted in the effects of the venom on people with brain tumors. - the toxin compounds combine with the damaged cells and the components that cause the tumors, weakening them such that simple exposure to radiation can remove what' s left. The procedure for using it, would really be, according to estimates as simple as injecting a solution of the compounds into the patient' s head. The idea is still being put through extensive testing, but if the tests prove to be successful and the synthetic( and non - lethal) version of the venom proves to be just as effective as the real thing, it might see frequent use. Finally, researchers have found that Deathstalker venom, or certain components within it that may or may not be possible to synthesize, can help control insulin levels. Still, there is quite a bit of optimism tied to the project, mostly because there is the possibility of using a synthetic form of the venom to treat diabetes.

There is still much research being done to determine just what in the venom has this effect, as well as all the possible effects it could have on a person' s insulin levels.