Black mamba venom: A safer alternative to morphine?

The snake is widely considered one of the deadliest animals on the planet. But French scientists believe they've found a way to turn the poison into a painkiller

The black mamba snake venom contains proteins that can dull pain in humans, according to new research.
(Image credit: Thinkstock/iStockphoto)

The black mamba is one of the deadliest animals on the planet, with a venomous bite so powerful that it's considered 100 percent fatal unless an antivenin is given within 20 minutes. It's perhaps strange, then, that a team of French researchers examined the venom's "cocktail of chemicals" for a new kind of painkiller, says Ed Yong at Discover Magazine. What they found is a potentially powerful new molecule that, as promising early results suggest, appears to be a safe alternative to morphine. Here's what you should know:

What exactly did scientists discover?

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us