Agkistrodon Contortrix Contortrix Venom is the Next Step in Breast Cancer Treatment

Scientists have isolated a protein from the venom of a Southern Copperhead that has been linked to fighting breast cancer. On a study done using mice the protein, Contortrostatin, proved to stop the growth of implanted breast cancer tumor cells by up to 70%, and even more importantly it proved to stop the spread of cancer to the lungs by 90%. The protein is an isolated form of the cytotoxic venom that doesn’t destroy tissue, but has proven to suspend the tissue and keep it from growing and spreading to other places in the body. This is important because most serious cases of breast cancer arise from the cancer metastasizing to other areas like the lungs. The protein is also beneficial because it doesn’t kill the cells directly, so it doesn’t have the serious side effects of chemotherapy. Instead, it doesn’t allow the cancer to invade the normal cells surrounding it, and it prevents the blood vessels that are necessary for the tumor to continue growing. The protein is still in the testing stage but scientists are very positive about the possibilities of the new drug.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/159054.stm