Breakthrough in heart surgery with scorpion poison

A toxin in scorpion venom may help increase the success rate of round-the-clock surgeries for patients with heart disease, according to new research by university scientists. Learn Leeds.


Round robin surgery is performed to increase blood flow to the heart in patients with severe coronary artery disease, which is at risk for myocardial infarction. During surgery, a healthy artery or vein from another part of the body will be connected to a blocked coronary artery.

This new blood stream provides oxygen-rich blood around the blockage to the heart muscle. However, this rounding may fail if the vein graft is obstructed. Blockage can occur if the reactions of the wound in the body create too many cells.

Recently, scientists at the University of Leeds have found that margarine - a species found in a scorpion in Central America - could provide a solution to this problem. The research team found that margarine increased the incidence of venous transplants by at least 100 times compared with other agents.

Margarine has the effect of blocking the natural response of blood vessels to the wound, thus helping to keep veins clear. Professor Beech , who led the study, was surprised at the effect of margarine: ' The effect of margarine on us was amazing. Only a small amount of this substance can produce a significant effect . '

Beech says that margarine may not be suitable for use as an oral or injectable drug because it can be life-threatening. However, it can be made as a sprays directly into the vein that has been removed and is waiting to be inserted into the heart.

According to the British Heart Association, there are about 25,000 rounds of coronary artery bypass surgery each year in the UK.