Naturally Occurring Drugs
The Chicago Tribune has all the latest in Euphorbia drug news.
An Illinois researcher has received a $1.4 million-dollar federal grant to study a potential new… experimental drug (that) comes from a cactus-like plant…
The drug is called Resiniferatoxin (reh-sin-ih-FEHR-oh-tox-in). It’s injected directly into the spinal cord.
Good to know some of those poisonous euphorbias can be useful for more than just causing screaming pain.
Here’s the plant it comes from (via wikipedia)
Euphorbia resinifera
Photo: Valérie & Agnès, Jardin botanique de Barcelone
That is a very nice plant. I want one. Do you think the researchers will share with me? It looks easy enough to break off a branch and send it to Berkeley. I suppose they could happen upon this blog post and send me a cutting.
