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Researchers from the University of Queensland have shown for the first time that some of the world's most painful ant bites target nerves, much like snake and
Exclusive pain pathway used by a dangerous stinging tree in Australia has been discovered by researchers, that offers the potential for non-opioid pain relief.
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Chemotherapy with fewer side effects may be on way
A discovery by University of Queensland pain researchers may allow some future cancer patients, including children with leukaemia, to avoid their chemotherapy’s worst and most debilitating side effects.
Professor Irina Vetter and Dr Hana Starobova thought “turning off” the inflammation that is one of the body’s natural reactions to the chemotherapy drug vincristine might reduce its accompanying pain and unpleasant symptoms.
“We found the anti-inflammatory drug anakinra substantially reduced the awful nerve symptoms for which vincristine chemotherapy is known,” Professor Vetter said.
“Importantly, it did not reduce the effectiveness of the chemo.”
An international team including scientists from The University of Queensland , made the discovery by studying the composition of spitting cobra venoms from three groups of snakes Asian spitting cobras, African spitting cobras and rinkhals. Co-authors Professor Irina Vetter and Dr Sam Robinson from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience are among the team which demonstrated that the defensive mechanism had developed as a dominant genetic trait. “The fangs of these snakes are adapted to spray venom as far as 2.5 metres the venom is aimed directly at the face, specifically the eyes, causing intense pain and can lead to the loss of eyesight,” Dr Robinson said.