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Snake Oil Salve
Venom gets useful.
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Look out Tiger Balm, here comes snake oil salve. |
After a bite, many varieties of snake venoms induce a deadly muscle paralysis. Now researchers led by University of Padova's Cesare Montecucco have mimicked the recipe of the paralyzing poison. The researchers found that a mixture of fatty acids and lipids can mimic the venom's neurotoxic effects. The researchers aren't planning on using the concoction to find a cure, but are pursuing using the a nontoxic version of the poison to make new generation of topical muscle relaxants and anti-perspiration agents that can be applied as topical creams. More from sciencemag.org
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