a lizard that digests for months

It seems out of a horror movie: a poisonous, slow and scums, which passes most of his life hidden under the sand of the desert. But this reptile, far from being a threat has become one of the great protagonists of modern medicine. His name: Heloderma Suspectumbetter known as Gila’s monster, and his poison has inspired medications that lately resonate a tool to lose weight.

An unexpected finding. In 1980, the gastroenterologist Jean-Pierre Raufman, intrigued by the therapeutic potential of natural substances, analyzed a series of animal poisons. In the most arid areas in the southern United States and northern Mexico, the specialist in the digestive system and other associated organs was fascinated by the Gila monster. According to BBCGila’s monster spends 98% of his life in underground burrows and can survive with just six meals a year, thanks to the fat accumulated in his tail, in the style of camels.

As He has collected The National Geographic, the doctor wanted to study more thoroughly after receiving a sample facilitated by the chemist John Pisano, who was looking for new peptide type molecules. Later, the endocrinologist John Eng resumed that line of research and managed to isolate two molecules of the poison: Excendin-3 and Excendin-4. These behaved similar to a human hormone called LPG-1, essential to regulate insulin production. The finding opened the doors to a new kind of drugs.

The science behind LPG-1. Because of course, how a poison has become the thinning star? Gila’s monster-4 monster imitated LPG-1, but had a crucial advantage: it remained longer in the human organism, prolonging its effects on metabolism. This allowed developing medications such as Byetta (exenatida) for type 2 diabetes.

As has collected the BBClater, it gave rise to the famous drugs known as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. They not only regulate blood sugar, but also reduce appetite and cause weight loss, acting directly on brain receptors that control the feeling of hunger. The trick was to make a small change in the molecule: they added some chains of fat that make it a protein in the blood. That allows the medicine to last longer in the body, so it is not necessary to take it so often and its effect is more constant.

Now a major problem faces. And it is not shortage The drugs to lose weight. According to an Ecology and Evolution studyGila’s monster is seeing how its habitat is drastically reduced in the coming decades. Climate change, together with the fragmentation of the desert, limits its ability to adapt.

By 2070, it is estimated that it could have disappeared from much of its current rank, especially in regions such as Mojave, without the possibility of recalling other more temperate areas.

The poison as a research route. The use of toxic compounds in medicine is not something new. The captopril, widely prescribed to treat hypertension, is based on the poison of a Brazilian snake, the JARARACA Bothrops. Today, that same logic is being applied to the genetic scale. Hungarian researcher Zoltan Takacs works in cataloging animal toxins of different species to create a database that serves as a starting point for new pharmacological treatments.

Hidden underground. The history of the Gila monster is a reminder that the best saved secrets of science are sometimes hidden under the sand. Today, its survival depends on human action. While in laboratories they are extracting wisdom from their poison, their habitat is reduced and its presence in nature becomes increasingly vulnerable. We do not know where the next advance of science will be.

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