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A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 16, 2003
It's hard to shake a bad reputation. Hope for the maligned of the world exists, however, and it comes from something burdened with the worst reputation of them all. The vampire bat.
Vampire bats will never be loved. Their very behavior guarantees it. They flit around under the cover of darkness drinking the blood of unsuspecting victims. But medical science could at least give these menacing creatures some respect.
It turns out that vampire bat saliva, which keeps blood from clotting, has great promise in treating stroke victims. A substance in the saliva, called DSPA for short, may be able to reduce the brain damage suffered by stroke victims. In tests on mice, DSPA proved more effective than a standard drug now administered after strokes.
While the substance has great potential for use on humans, it will have to undergo more extensive testing. It is, however, the vampire bat's chance for redemption, and that means there is hope for us all.