Enzymes from rattlesnake venom could be responsible for cartilage damage in arthritis, claim Newcastle scientists
ENZYMES similar to those found in the venom of rattlesnakes could be responsible for cartilage damage in arthritis, according to a group of scientists at Newcastle University.
The team, lead by Dr Norman McKie in the department of rheumatology, have just been awarded a major grant of £68,006 by leading medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign.
They will spend the next two years investigating the role of the enzyme ADAM ts-1 - a human relative of enzymes found in the venom of the Diamond Back Rattlesnake - in the loss of cartilage in joints.
The destruction of the load-bearing cartilage in the joints is one of the main causes of arthritic disease, leading to pain and disability for many sufferers.
"The enzymes we propose to be the agents which destroy cartilage components are interestingly most closely related to enzymes which for many years have been known to be a major constituent of snake venom, in particular from large vipers such as the Diamond Back Rattlesnake," explained Dr McKie.
"We were the first group to report that these enzymes were present in the cells which repair and maintain the joint cartilage, an idea that has now gained wide acceptance in the scientific community.
"The new award made to my group by the ARC will further underscore our research into how these snake-like enzymes function in the joint tissue."
Ultimately the team hopes that if their laboratory tests are successful, current drugs could be altered in order to stop cartilage being destroyed, and the progression of arthritis slowed down.
