In a new study aimed at alleviating rheumatoid arthritis sufferers' pain, researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine discovered a new way of halting the progression of the aforementioned affliction -- by utilizing scorpion venom.
The research paper published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics details that scorpion venom has a component that helps block out potassium channels inside fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) -- which plays a fundamental role in the disease's development.
These FLS cells move from joint to joint secreting products that lure immune cells into the area, inducing inflammation accompanied by pain.
Scientists say that by blocking these potassium channels, which is essential for FLS to fully function, the progress and severity of the condition could be halted.
The specific compound inside scorpion venom that makes the blocking of these pathways is called iberiotoxin which, unlike other treatments, does not incur any side effects to the nervous system.
The scientists performed the initial tests on lab rats with arthritis. They injected the subjects with the toxin and saw a significant improvement on the condition -- with the treatment even going as far as to reverse the condition.
Scientists have yet to test the treatment on humans, but they plan on continuing the research in order to come up with a treatment suitable for humans.
Proponents of the study hope that this newly discovered treatment can serve as a guide for future studies involving the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Currently, there are 1.3 million people with rheumatoid arthritis in the United States.
People between the ages of 60 and 80 are more likely to acquire this condition.
There is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but treatments are available to help alleviate the pain that comes with the disease. However, most of these treatments have detrimental effects on the nervous system.
