Researchers in India report progress toward an antivenom for the Indian black scorpion Heterometrus bengalensis. The team mapped the venom with scientific tests and found many different toxins in it. The laboratory says this work is an early step toward an antidote that might protect people from more than one scorpion species.
Scientists tested the venom on mice and saw organ damage, inflammation and higher liver enzymes. The researchers say the results show the venom is complex and that better treatments are needed. The IASST laboratory is working on creating an antivenom.
Difficult words
- antivenom — medicine that treats animal poison after a bite
- venom — poison that some animals produce and use
- toxin — a small poisonous substance made by an animaltoxins
- inflammation — swelling and redness when a body part reacts
- antidote — a medicine or treatment that stops a poison
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think an antidote that helps many scorpion species is useful? Why?
- Have you ever seen a scorpion? What would you do if you found one?
- Why is it important for scientists to test medicines on animals before people?
Related articles
New analysis: Titan may have a slushy interior, not a deep ocean
Reanalysis of Cassini data suggests Titan has a thick, slushy layer with tunnels and pockets of meltwater near a rocky core rather than a single deep ocean. The result could change ideas about habitability and will be testable by the Dragonfly mission.
Antibody and EGFR–STAT1 pathway point to new fibrosis treatments
Researchers at Yale found a human antibody that blocks epiregulin and lowers fibrosis markers. They also show EGFR activates STAT1 in fibroblasts, suggesting two treatment paths: block epiregulin or target the EGFR–STAT1 pathway.
Warmer temperatures make invasive brown anoles more aggressive
A Tulane University study found that rising temperatures increase aggression in invasive brown anoles more than in native green anoles. Researchers tested pairs of lizards in controlled enclosures and say warming could favour the invasive species.
New device measures blood viscosity in real time
Researchers at the University of Missouri created a non-invasive device that monitors blood viscosity and density in real time using ultrasound and software. It can read blood without drawing samples and may help in diseases like sickle cell.