Scientists may have discovered the first antidote to the deadliest mushroom known to humans
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Scientists have been studying the death cap mushroom since the 1700s but only recently have discovered a potential antidote to this deadly fungus.
Death cap mushrooms kill up to 100 people per year and sicken thousands more but have no antidote.
Scientists used CRISPR to help identify a chemical that could become the first death cap antidote.
Half of mice poisoned with the death cap's toxin survived after the new treatment.
But that may change soon enough.
But deactivating STT3B in cells with CRISPR isn't something you can just do in a hospital on a poisoned, dying patient. To identify a possible antidote for death cap victims, the researchers took the additional step to test various chemicals and their affect on STT3B.
They found a promising candidate in the chemical indocyanine green. "ICG is a potential STT3B inhibitor that can prevent AMA-induced cell death," they reported in the study.
"ICG has demonstrated significant potential in mitigating the toxic impact of alpha-amanitin in liver cells and mice," Wang said.
Of course, further research is necessary to determine any therapeutic benefits in human subjects.
"To this end, the research team intends to conduct human trials to assess ICG's efficacy in individuals who have recently ingested toxic mushrooms," Wang told Insider. "These tests will yield more definitive results and provide a clearer picture of ICG's potential to revolutionize the treatment of mushroom poisoning," Wang said.
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