Desmoteplase is a chemical in the saliva of vampire bats. It destroys fibrin, used to clot blood. A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ... In animals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the salivary glands. ... Genera Desmodus Dyphilla Diaemus Vampire bats are bats that feed on blood. ... Fibrin is a protein involved in the clotting of blood. ... Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ...
External links
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3007500 - Information on the modern medical uses of Desmoteplase.
The results of the DIAS trial (Desmoteplase in Acute ischemic Stroke), to be presented Feb. 5 at the International Stroke Conference in San Diego, show that the drug desmoteplase is effective in preventing brain damage from stroke if administered between three and nine hours after symptoms begin.
Desmoteplase is a genetically engineered version of a blood clot-dissolving protein from the saliva of the vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus.
Desmoteplase is able to dissolve a blood clot without affecting the rest of the body's clotting system and without increasing the risk of intracranial bleeding.
Desmoteplase, a novel plasminogen activator, or blood clot-dissolving agent, is currently under development in the U.S. and Europe for treatment of acute ischemic stroke, a condition affecting over 600,000 patients in the U.S. annually.
Above all, desmoteplase is a product that, if successfully developed and approved, can make a very significant difference to stroke patients who presently have much more limited opportunity to ameliorate the potentially severe consequences of ischemic stroke which can be fatal or can severely limit the patient's mental and physical functioning.
The study demonstrated that by administering desmoteplase, the blood flow in the damaged area of the brain was significantly improved and expansion of the damaged brain area was prevented, which led to improved clinical outcome after 90 days in up to 60 percent of patients who received the optimal dose.
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