CANCER CURE

SNAKE VENOM MAY OFFER CANCER CURE Japanese scientists have claimed that a number of toxins found in snake venom could help develop new therapies for chronic diseases like heart attack, stroke and cancer.  The scientists, who reported their findings in the journal of Biological Chemistry, said that inhibiting a protein found on the surface of blood platelets may combat both irregular blood clotting and the spread of certain cancers throughout the body. "The finding that platelets not only play a role in blood clotting but also in the development of vessels that allow tumours to flourish was quite unexpected and paves the way for new research on the role or roles of platelets," said Katsue Suzuki - Inoue, of the University of Yamanashi.