Scientists at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have identified a mini-protein in scorpion venom that can target joint inflammation in arthritic rats — and they’re hoping it can do the same thing for human patients.
It’s too early to say whether the technique will work as well in humans as it does in rats. But the experiments reported today in Science Translational Medicine hold the promise of delivering the benefits of steroid-based therapies for arthritis while avoiding the side effects that come with the use of those steroids.
