Could Snakes Sting Cancer?

A report in this week's Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests snakes may help stop the spread of cancer. Researchers from the University of Southern California found the venom from the southern copperhead snake appears to stop cancer cells from spreading as well as stopping the blood flow to the tumor, a process that causes tumor death.

Researchers purified the venom and injected it into the tumors of mice with breast cancer and ovarian cancer. They found a substance in venom binds to the tumor cells and keeps them from migrating to other areas. There were also very minor side effects noted.

Researchers explain the integrin, the active substance in the venom, works by sending faulty signals between cells. The faulty signals stop the cells from making the connections needed to move throughout the body. 

While these findings seem to be exciting, David Cheresh, Ph.D., of the Scripps Research Institute, cautions over getting too excited. He says there are still many questions to answer about why the integrin stops the cancer spread and whether or not the same results will be seen in humans. He says it is likely to be a long road from the lab to the clinic.

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