Taturana venom can help people heal, discover Brazilians
D:Two proteins extracted from the venom of the firefly taturana, Lonomia obliqua caterpillar, may help treat and fight degenerative diseases. The discovery was made by researchers at the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo.
The research, considered innovative and revolutionary, was published in a scientific journal Frontiers in molecular biology.
“We discovered that proteins prevent cell death. Losac, in addition to activating blood coagulation factor X, has a neuroprotective function, while Lopap, which activates prothrombin, also stimulates the production of extracellular matrix molecules such as collagen and fibronectin, which are associated with regeneration,” said Ana Marisa. Chudzinski-Tavas. Bhutantan’s director of innovation and co-author of the study.
“Revolutionary discovery”.
Pharmacist-biochemist Ana Marisa Chudzinski-Tavas noted that the discovery is revolutionary. According to him, the prospects of these polls are very positive.
“In models of cells involved in the joint process and cells that make up tissues, such as the skin, we observed the regenerative potential of these peptides, which could regulate the genes involved in this process, as well as induce the expression of specific proteins.
It will be possible for scientists to implement several applications in different ways. According to him, the most immediate is the formulation, the pharmaceutical active ingredient of which is the peptide.
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A poison that saves.
According to the project’s researchers, these proteins, called rLosac and rLopap, have great potential and could even be used for healing and regeneration.
Throughout the study, firefly venom has proven to be a tool for scientific progress in the fight against degenerative diseases.
Losak and Lopap are the main proteins of the venom, and when researchers studied them, they noticed that they are present in all evolutionary cycles of the animal.
Larva proteins are now produced synthetically in the laboratory. The next steps in the research consist of developing products for industries that focus on recovery.
old acquaintance
The firefly is an old acquaintance of Bhutanese researchers. In 1996, the facility developed a serum to treat people who came into contact with the caterpillar’s hairs.
The animal can be fatal if the individual bleeds. To date, the Bhutantan Institute is the only serum producer in the world.
Researchers have succeeded in synthetically producing the same proteins found in firefly venom in the laboratory. Photo: Reproduction/Butantan Institute.
According to Bhutantan Institute
