Poison could be cure if stroke hits

Queen's is studying the effect of snake venom on blood clots

Doctors at the Queen's Medical Center are using a drug concocted from a viper's venom in a study to improve treatment for ischemic strokes.

COURTESY OF THE QUEEN'S MEDICAL CENTER The Queen's Medical Center is one of 65 sites nationwide participating in a study for stroke research that uses the venom of Malayan pit vipers to break up blood clots in ischemic stroke patients with the hope it will reduce brain cell damage.

Ischemic strokes are those where blockage of blood flow or rupture of a vessel causes lack of oxygen and sudden death of brain cells.

The venom comes from the Malayan pit viper, known as an ill-tempered and frequent biter.

A Malayan pit viper described as having long fangs and a bad temper might help to preserve brain cells for stroke patients.

The snake's venom is used in a drug that the Queen's Medical Center and 64 other sites are studying to break up blood clots in ischemic stroke patients.

Ischemic strokes are those where blockage of blood flow or rupture of a vessel causes lack of oxygen and sudden death of brain cells.

The hope is that a drug called Viprinex, made from the Malayan snakes' venom, could extend the treatment time from three to six hours so fewer brain cells will die.

"Our first priority will always be to educate the public about preventing a stroke," Dr. Cherylee Chang, medical director of Neuroscience Institute and Stroke Center at Queen's, said in a news release.

"But the next step is to know the symptoms of stroke and to make sure people seek medical attention immediately if they are experiencing any symptoms."

Chang is principal investigator of the study, focused on Viprinex, an anticoagulant also known as Ancrod. She said response time is critical in treating stroke.

"We know that 1.9 million brain cells are lost every minute during a stroke, so we are excited at the prospect of a new drug that could help these patients. Seeking medical treatment early may also help doctors prevent a second event."

Queens has the only nationally accredited stroke center in Hawaii.

Viprinex has been approved in various countries but not in the United States.

The only FDA-approved drug to treat blood clots in stroke patients is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which is effective only within the first three hours after a stroke occurs, according to Queen's.

Brain cells cannot regenerate, so limiting the number of brain cells lost because of lack of blood flow to the brain is a major goal of stroke care.

The Malayan pit viper, according to the Survival IQ Handbook: Survival Skills on the Internet, "has long fangs, is ill-tempered and is responsible for many bites." Chances of survival are good with medical treatment, it said.

"The greatest danger is stepping on the snake with bare feet," it said. That is not a problem in Hawaii, which prohibits snakes.

Patients who meet research criteria will be asked about participating in the study after they are admitted to the hospital and stabilized. To ensure accurate and unbiased results, the study is double-blind, which means neither the staff nor patients know whether a participant is receiving the drug or getting a placebo.

Nationally, the study hopes to test 650 patients. Results will be released in a couple of years, Queen's said.