Venom cures
Local man claims there is a poisonous cure for cancer
By Jessica M. Sibley March 10, 2009 - 11:59 p.m. EST
"The cure to breast cancer lies in these Copperheads," claims Joel LaRocque.
SENECA — Next time you see a Copperhead snake in your backyard, leave it alone. Not because it has the potential to bite you and cause severe damage, but because one day, it might just save your life.
Joel LaRocque, Seneca resident and avid snake handler and enthusiast, claims the answer to cancer treatment lies in the jaws of these reptiles.
LaRocque was bitten and spared by a deadly Cottonmouth in the late 1960s. He has been intrigued and awed by snakes ever since. His admiration has grown to immeasurable lengths.
Now, he works with numerous cancer laboratories across the world as he freeze dries and ships off Copperhead venom that, one day, could be used to stop the spread of cancer cells and even shrink tumors, he said.
“In the late 1990s, Japanese scientists found that Copperhead venom carried a tiny protein called ‘Contortrostatin,’” he said. “Then in early 2000, scientists at Loma Linda University in California found that this protein can actually halt the spread of cancer cells with early detection.”
So the question is … why on earth aren’t scientists pushing to get this treatment into hospitals and homes around the world?
“It’s the money issue and all the legalities that come along with new treatments,” he said. “Especially ones such as this, that would take so much money away from other treatments like radiation and chemotherapy,” LaRocque argues.
Like LaRocque, Bill Haast, a laboratory researcher at the Miami Serpentarium who has worked most of his 95 years around venomous snakes and understands the potential for venom to “heal,” has been bitten more than 170 times.
To ward off the dangers of their occupation, both men inject themselves with a cocktail of venom once a month to build up antibodies.
“The pain is incredible, but it has really helped me stay healthy and safe from probable snake bites,” LaRocque said.
In the end, he said, it pains him more than anything to know there is an up and coming treatment that could save lives, but isn’t being utilized.
“Sometimes it is hard to swallow that money is so much more important than saving lives,” he said. “But that’s the system that has been installed, and there isn’t much we can do about it.”
After his many discussions with laboratory workers and researchers, LaRocque said he understands the process that needs to be followed when developing a possible new cure, but he can't help but think of the 40,000 or more women who lose their lives to breast and other cancers each year.
“These snakes could literally save their lives,” he said. “It’s just a shame to know you are holding a key to health but this feasible treatment won't hit the shelves for another 25 years or more.”
And even though LaRocque and his wife, Janice, continue to care for snakes and hope to benefit cancer victims in the future, they don’t have nearly the number of slithering pets they once had in Louisiana.
“We were wiped out by Katrina,” he said. “We lost hundreds of our snakes, and it absolutely broke our hearts. We moved to Oconee County just under a year ago and we hope to make a difference nationwide from the beautiful Upstate.”
LaRocque also wants to spread the overall knowledge of snakes to youth in the community.
“We would love to travel to schools and show these kids what to look out for, which snakes to avoid and how to identify them. We just want to give back to the community and I think students and teachers alike would benefit from our presentation.”
upstatetoday.com - Upstate South Carolina's leading news and information Web site | The Daily Journal, Daily Messenger, Upstate Lake Living, Golden Corner Shopper
Local man claims there is a poisonous cure for cancer
Linear Mode
