Press/Media: Research
Various articles published based on our 2024 PNAS paper showing how heparinoids can inhibit cytotoxic 3-finger toxins in spitting cobra venoms.
| Title | Common blood thinner a more effective antidote for cobra venom: Study |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | The Strights Times |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | Singapore |
| Date | 26/08/24 |
| Description | SINGAPORE – When a snake sinks its fangs into the flesh of its prey, toxins in its venom can destroy the victim’s tissue almost instantly. Currently, the common treatment for snake bites is an anti-venom delivered to the bloodstream through an intravenous drip. But this does not prevent the venom from creating lesions in skin tissues, which can cause permanent limb damage or amputation. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Common blood thinner could treat cobra venom – global study |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | Juta Medical Brief - Africa's Medical Media Digest |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | South Africa |
| Date | 24/07/24 |
| Description | A commonly used blood thinner can be used as an antidote to cobra venom, an international study has suggested, research that experts have described as “really exciting” and which could help save lives. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Australia, UK develop new antidote for snake bites using CRISPR technology |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | Bio Spectrum Asia Edition |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Date | 23/07/24 |
| Description | Scientists at the University of Sydney, Australia and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK have made a remarkable discovery, i.e. a commonly used blood thinner, heparin, that can be repurposed as an inexpensive antidote for cobra venom. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Century-Old Drug Could Stop Cobra Bites – Here’s How! |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Influence UK |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 23/07/24 |
| Description | Snakebites, claiming up to 138,000 lives annually worldwide, may soon meet their match in an unexpected source – century-old blood thinners repurposed as potent antidotes against cobra venom. This groundbreaking discovery, detailed in a recent publication by researchers from the University of Sydney, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Instituto Clodomiro Picado, could transform the landscape of snakebite treatment. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Remedy for dangerous cobra bites discovered |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | ASB Zeitung |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | Germany |
| Date | 22/07/24 |
| Description | Inexpensive, unprocessed, admitted |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | How a century-old drug could revolutionise cobra bite treatment |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | The Indian Express |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | India |
| Date | 22/07/24 |
| Description | Snakebites kill 138,000 yearly, but common blood thinners might be the new life-saving antidotes. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | New antidote for cobra bites discovered |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Digital Journal |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Date | 22/07/24 |
| Description | Scientists working at the University of Sydney and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have discovered that the commonly used blood thinner, heparin, can be repurposed as an inexpensive antidote for cobra venom. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Common Blood Thinners Could Combat Snakebites, Preventing Tissue Damage and Amputations, Study Finds |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | Smithosonian Magazine |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| Date | 22/07/24 |
| Description | An estimated 400,000 people per year are permanently disabled because of snake venom, which can cause lesions and necrosis at the bite site |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Blood thinner may revolutionise cobra bite treatment in India |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | DNA India |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | India |
| Date | 20/07/24 |
| Description | In such countries as India, the standard treatment for snakebites involves administering ‘antivenom’. To create it, scientists first gather venom from the specific snake species. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Cobra venom just became less deadly, thanks to a common drug |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Earth.com |
| Date | 19/07/24 |
| Description | Every year, thousands of people worldwide succumb to the lethal amounts of cobra venom injected into their bodies through bites. These victims, often living in rural or impoverished regions with limited access to medical care, face not only the immediate threat of death but also the harrowing aftermath of envenomation. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Scientists find that a common blood-thinning drug neutralises cobra venom |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | Nation |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | Kenya |
| Date | 19/07/24 |
| Description | Scientists from the University of Sydney and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have discovered that a common blood-thinning drug can be repurposed as an antidote for cobra venom. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Latin America Could Attack Snakebites with New Antidote |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Latin America Post |
| Date | 19/07/24 |
| Description | Latin America, a region teeming with biodiversity, is grappling with a pressing health issue-snakebites, particularly in rural areas. The urgency of this crisis is underscored by the fact that these incidents are often underreported, earning the designation of a neglected tropical disease. A new anticoagulant-based antidote could be a game-changer, but better healthcare infrastructure and education are equally crucial. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Heparinoids class of drugs could revolutionise snake bite treatment https://www.bizzbuzz.news/industry/pharma/heparinoids-class-of-drugs-could-revolutionise-snake-bite-treatment-1329687 |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Bizz Buzz |
| Date | 19/07/24 |
| Description | Heparinoids are already inexpensive essential medicines used to prevent blood clots. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved them for self-administration in humans which may reduce the time required for the lengthy process of getting a drug to market |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | New antidote for cobra bites discovered using CRISPR technology |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | The University of Sydney |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| Date | 19/07/24 |
| Description | Cheap, available drug could help reduce impact of snakebites worldwide |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Common blood thinner possible cheap antidote to snakebite, study finds |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Press Trust of India |
| Country/Territory | India |
| Date | 19/07/24 |
| Description | A common blood thinner drug could be a possible cheap antidote to treating snakebites, according to a research. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | How a common blood thinner can protect against spitting cobras |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | The Telegraph |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Description | Scientists are excited about the ‘surprising’ discovery that heparin could limit the damage caused by the snake’s toxins |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Blood Thinner Can Treat Flesh-Eating Cobra Venom, Scientists Discover |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Science Alert |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Description | About 1.8 million people worldwide are bitten by snakes each year. Of those, up to 138,000 die and another 400,000 end up with permanent scarring and disability.Many cobras have tissue-damaging venoms that can't be treated with current antivenoms. We have discovered that cheap, readily available blood-thinning medications can be repurposed as antidotes for these venoms. Using CRISPR gene-editing technology we learned more about how these venoms attack our cells, and found out that a common class of drugs called heparinoids can protect tissue from the venom. Our research is published today in Science Translational Medicine. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Breakthrough: Common blood thinner can be affordable antidote for cobra venom |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | The Times of India |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | India |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Hope commonly used blood thinner could revolutionise treatment for cobra bites |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | ABC |
| Primary Media type | Television |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Description | Video of paper's lead author and my collaborator, Tian Du, being interviewed by ABC for the project. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Australian research discovers how common blood thinner can be used as cobra venom treatment |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Cosmos |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Description | The anticoagulant heparin could be repurposed as a cheap and effective drug to treat cobra bites across Asia and Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 2 million people are envenomed by snakes each year in Asia, while in Africa there are an estimated 435,000 to 580,000 snake bites annually that need treatment. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Scientists discover new antidote to cobra venom |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | The Hindu |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | India |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Description | A commonly used blood thinner can be repurposed as an inexpensive antivenom treatment, a study published in Science Translational Medicine has said |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Common blood thinner possible cheap antidote to snakebite, study finds |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | The South First |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | India |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Description | Using the CRISPR technology to modify human genes, the team identified the different ways in which cobra venom could be blocked. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | UK researchers help discover blood-thinning drug neutralises cobra venom bites |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | ITV News |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 18/07/24 |
| Description | A drug commonly prescribed to thin blood can be repurposed as a cheap antidote to cobra venom, researchers have found. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | New antidote for cobra bites discovered |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | AAAS EurekaAlert |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 17/07/24 |
| Description | Scientists at the University of Sydney and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have made a remarkable discovery: a commonly used blood thinner, heparin, can be repurposed as an inexpensive antidote for cobra venom. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Breakthrough cobra venom antidote discovered |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | Popular Science |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| Date | 17/07/24 |
| Description | A breakthrough from an international research team has produced a cheap new antidote to deadly cobra venom using a surprising source—a commonplace blood thinner. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Snakebite savior: CRISPR tech helps discover antidote for cobra venom |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | Interesting Engineering |
| Date | 17/07/24 |
| Description | Using CRISPR technology, researchers identified that heparin can block cobra venom targets, acting as a ‘decoy’ antidote to prevent necrosis and improve survival rates. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Common blood-thinning drug neutralises cobra venom |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | BBC |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 17/07/24 |
| Description | A drug commonly prescribed to thin blood can be repurposed as a cheap antidote to cobra venom, a team of scientists based in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the UK has discovered. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Scientists discover new antidote for cobra bites that could save thousands of lives |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | The Independent |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 17/07/24 |
| Description | Researchers have discovered a new antidote for cobra bites. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Blood Thinner May Be New Cheap Antidote For Snake Bites, Study Suggests |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | Forbes |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| Date | 17/07/24 |
| Description | Available snake bite antivenoms are inconsistent at preventing tissue damage, and can cost thousands of dollars, so researchers found the common blood thinner heparin may be a cheap alternative to treat venomous snake bites and a more successful drug at preventing amputation. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Blood-thinning drug heparin may stop snakebite victims losing limbs |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | New Scientist |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 17/07/24 |
| Description | Giving mice the blood-thinning drug heparin after they were injected with venom from two cobra species reduced their risk of tissue death, which can lead to amputations |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Deadly cobra bites to "drastically reduce" as scientists discover new antivenom |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | BBC Discover Wildlife |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 17/08/23 |
| Description | After successful human trials, the snake venom antidote could be rolled out relatively quickly to become a "cheap, safe and effective drug for treating cobra bites" and saving lives around the globe, say scientists. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |
| Title | Scientists now have an antidote for killer cobra venom. It's common blood thinner! |
|---|---|
| Media name/outlet | WION |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| Date | 18/07/22 |
| Description | The antivenom treatment as of now is expensive, however, if the commonly used blood thinner is made into an antidote it can be a breakthrough in the world of medicine. |
| Persons | Steve Hall |