The venom of Brazilian vipers could become an important tool in the battle against Covid-19, claims a new study by researchers from Brazil.
It may sound odd but a molecule in the venom of a type of snake called jararacussu pit was able to inhibit the novel coronavirus’ ability to reproduce by 75 per cent in a test on monkey cells.
The scientists say this is the first step towards potentially using snake venom in a Covid-19 vaccine.
Publishing in the journal Molecule, the team explained that the molecule is a peptide, already known for its antibacterial qualities and can be synthesised in the laboratory without needing to capture or raise snakes.
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The scientists will now study the efficiency of different doses of the venom molecule and hope to test the substance on human cells at some point. But there is no clear timeline as to when that will happen and for now, the team has warned people against taking a Do-It-Yourself approach with snake venom.