New research suggests that a protein in the venom of a South American rattlesnake could help counter a genetic defect which causes cystic fibrosis. CF is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults and there is no cure.
CF affects the digestive system and the lungs causing difficulty digesting fats and proteins, malnutrition, lung damage, diabetes and sinus infections. It’s estimated that one in every 3,600 children born in Canada have the disease.
Prof. Gergely Lukacs, a McGill University biochemist who was part of a study explains what role snake venom could play in countering the effects of the CF genetic mutation. The research will be published in the Journal of Molecular Biology.
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