Researchers from the University of Queensland have found that the venom of vampire bats can be used for developing treatments for strokes and high blood pressure.
In a study conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland, researchers found that the venom of vampire bats contained molecules that are capable of evading a patient's immune system.
"Our team's results point to entirely new forms of anticoagulants in the venom, as well as novel molecules that cause dilation of the small arteries near the skin," UQ's Associate Professor Bryan Fry from the School of Biological Sciences said in a news release.
He compares the vampire bat's venom to that of a snake's venom which has, over time, developed in such a way that it can now prevent the immune system of its prey from generating antibodies against its venom molecules.
Fry reveals that vampire bats secrete multiple forms of the same active components present in snake venom, only with a few changes present on the surface of the molecule. He says that even if the prey's body generates antibodies to fight one molecule, there are a few other molecules that sneak past the antibodies and continue to flow in the blood.
Fry says that this characteristic of vampire bat's venom can be used to develop treatments and medications that could help cure people with high blood pressure and strokes.
The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Proteomics.
