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Brazilian scientists have discovered that the venom of a native viper can be used as a medicine to help fight COVID-19, Reuters reported.
In the scientific journal Molecules, scientists shared the results of a study on monkey cells showing that a molecule from a Brazilian jararacussu viper can inhibit the virus’s ability to multiply by 75%.
A molecule of the venom can connect to the enzyme of the virus, PLPro, which is vital for the virus to reproduce, according to Reuters.
“We were able to show that this component of snake venom was able to inhibit a very important protein of the virus,” Rafael Guido, professor at the University of São Paulo, told the news agency.
Scientists will now assess the effectiveness of different doses of the molecule, seeking to determine whether it can prevent the virus from entering cells, Reuters noted.
The discovery also raised some concerns. Herpetologist Giuseppe Puorto has said he is concerned about people traveling across the country trying to get cured from the viper venom.
“We are wary of people who go hunting jararacussu around Brazil, thinking they are going to save the world.… That’s not it!” Puorto told Reuters. “It is not the venom itself that will cure the coronavirus.”
The jararacussu viper is also one of Brazil’s largest snakes, measuring up to 6 feet 2 inches, Reuters reported.
COVID-19 cases and deaths tend to decline in Brazil, which is among the hardest-hit countries in the world. Much of the world is going through a new wave of COVID-19 infections, as the highly contagious delta variant spreads mainly among those who are not vaccinated.
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