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Frog skin used to treat cancer?

tmarmoratus

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Queen's scientists unlock potential of frog skin to treat cancer

Scientists at Queen's have discovered proteins in frog skins which could be used to treat cancer, diabetes, stroke and transplant patients by regulating the growth of blood vessels.

The award-winning research, led by Professor Chris Shaw at Queen's School of Pharmacy, has identified two proteins, or ‘peptides’, which can be used in a controlled and targeted way to regulate 'angiogenesis' – the process by which blood vessels grow in the body. The discovery holds the potential to develop new treatments for more than seventy major diseases and conditions that affect more than one billion people worldwide.

The proteins are found in secretions on the skins of the Waxy Monkey Frog and the Giant Firebellied Toad. Scientists capture the frogs and gently extract the secretions, before releasing them back in to the wild. The frogs are not harmed in any way during this process.

Queen's University Belfast | Press Releases

Hopefully this leads to bigger and better things. :smile:
 

Molch

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interesting. If this leads to a real medication procedure, they's have to captive-breed those species - in which case they may not produce the same peptides?
 
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