Hormone Discovered at Texas College Could Treat Alcohol Poisoning
Hold on to your livers, folks, because researchers in Dallas are cooking up something special!
According to this article, these mad scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered a hormone that could cure alcohol poisoning faster than you can say "hair of the dog."
Like Narcan for booze
David Mangelsdorf, chair of UT Southwestern's Department of Pharmacology, said that FGF21 could be developed into a drug to treat alcohol poisoning in hospital emergency rooms and college campuses, just like the way Narcan is used for opioid overdoses. So, the next time you wake up on a frat house floor covered in questionable substances, you might have a new friend in FGF21.
Say no to drugs
But wait, there's more! The hormone also helped mice recover from more moderate levels of alcohol consumption, but it didn't work for other types of sedatives. It's like the hormone is specifically programmed for alcohol, almost like it's saying "sorry, I don't do drugs, I'm a classy hormone."
Not a miracle cure
FGF21 won't turn you into a superhero with the power to drink without consequences. The hormone affects noradrenergic neurons, which promotes wakefulness, but it doesn't affect alcohol metabolism. So, please don't use this as an excuse to binge drink like it's your job.
Yay livers!
UT Southwestern professor Steven Kliewer even warned, "We don't want to send the signal that it's okay to get drunk because a drug can undo it." Well, there goes my weekend plans. In conclusion, these researchers might have just saved countless livers and hangovers with their discovery. It's like we've been sitting on a cure for alcohol poisoning all along, and it's been right inside of us. Who knew our livers were the real MVPs all along?