Platypus Venom To Treat Diabetes?

Platypus have venomous spurs on the heels of their hind feet that contains a hormone that could help treat diabetes, researchers have found.

15:54 13 December 2016

Male platypus have venomous spurs on the heels of their hind feet, which they use to ward off predators. Known as glucagon-like peptide-1 or GLP-1, it promotes insulin release and lower blood glucose levels. 

 

The venom is also found in humans and other animals but it normally degrades very quickly - not for duck-billed bottom feeders though as they produce a long-lasting form of it.

 

Lead researcher Prof Frank Grutzer said: "We knew from genome analysis that there was something weird about the platypus's metabolic control system because they basically lack a functional stomach."

 

"An important experiment is going to be putting this it into mice and see how it affects blood glucose levels. That's certainly very high on our priority list.

 

"But to get to a drug is a very long journey. We still have to learn a lot more about how this platypus hormone actually works."