SNAKE VENOM USED TO STOP BLEEDING.

In what seems to be an ironic twist 2 scientist have demonstrated the ability of snake venom to stop bleeding even in the presence of anticoagulants.Rice University researchers Jeffrey Hartgerink, and Vivek Kumar developed SB50;an hydrogel. The product a nano fiber an hydrogel called SB50 incorporates batroxobin, a venom produced by two species of South American pit viper. It can be injected as a liquid and quickly turns into a gel that conforms to the site of a wound, keeping it closed, and promotes clotting within seconds.The hydrogel may be most useful for surgeries, particularly for patients who take anti-coagulant drugs to thin their blood. Batroxobin was recognized for its properties as a coagulant -- a substance that encourages blood to clot -- in 1936. It has been used in various therapies as a way to remove excess fibrin proteins from the blood to treat thrombosis and as a topical hemostat. It has also been used as a diagnostic tool to determine blood-clotting time in the presence of heparin, an anti-coagulant drug. The batroxobin combined with the Rice lab's hydrogels isn't taken directly from snakes, Hartgerink said. The substance used for medicine is produced by genetically modified bacteria and then purified, avoiding the risk of other contaminant toxins. read more here;http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151026111913.htm