Poisonous Australian tree’s agonising sting could unlock new painkillers, scientists say

The gympie-gympie tree causes brutal, persistent pain in a way ‘never seen before’ – but its unique toxins offer hope for non-opioid relief

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A toxic Queensland tree with a sting so painful that legend says it can drive a victim mad with suffering could be the answer to new non-opioid pain relief.

The gympie-gympie tree is an innocuous-looking plant with a large heart-shaped leaf that grows in the rainforests of Australia and Malaysia.

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