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RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER and REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
a
giant leap forward
Professor Chris Shaw and his team from the School of Biomedical Sciences have discovered a vital weapon in the fight against conditions like cancer and heart disease – frog venom.
The team has discovered that molecules called peptides, secreted by rainforest frogs to ward off predators, have the potential to:
- Dramatically reduce high blood pressure.
- Stop blood clotting, an effective tool in the fight against deep vein thrombosis and heart disease.
- Tackle conditions that are resistant to treatment by conventional antibiotics.
- Make crops resistant to insect attack.
- Help tackle cancer tumours and leukaemia and protect bone marrow against damage during chemotherapy.
Speaking of this significant discovery, Professor
Shaw said:
“Biological warfare has been going on in the rainforest for millions of
years as each organism living there has fought for its survival. I believe
that we can put that biological weaponry to use for the good of humankind
in the ultimate defeat of those diseases which have thus far remained
intractable”.
Blood pressure
Peptides obtained from the giant Mexican leaf frog have been found to
reduce blood pressure by 50% when administered in very low doses under
laboratory conditions. This unlocks the potential for new drugs to help
people suffering from high blood pressure. The same frog also produces a
peptide which stops blood from clotting, opening the way for new
treatments for deep vein thrombosis and heart disease.
Messengers
Molecules from a North American pond frog are similar to
messenger molecules in the human body which are known to stimulate or
inhibit the growth of cancer tumours. This knowledge could lead to the
development of treatments for tackling tumours. Other potential uses are
in treatment for leukaemia and in reducing the damage to bone marrow from
chemotherapy treatment.
Professor Shaw said:
“This could be a giant leap forward for medicine. We can use the
biological weaponry evolved in the frog’s venom to fight against cancer,
heart disease and neuro-degenerative diseases. I believe the cure for
these exist in the rainforest in the molecules that have evolved over
millions of years.”
| Mental Health Psychology, Professor Maurice Stringer and colleagues completed the first comprehensive study on the influence of integrated education on the social development of Protestant and Catholic children in Northern Ireland. Dr Teresa Rushe made significant advances in research on the neuropsychological basis of the onset of schizophrenia, one of the most prevalent serious contemporary mental health problems.
Cultural and political awareness |
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