Deadly spider venom saves cells from damage during stroke, heart attack

Australian scientists have taken an important step by creating a drug that will enable avoiding complications during heart attack and stroke. They discovered a substance that prevents cell damage. It is the molecule of funnel-shaped spider venom, reported The European Heart Journal.

Funnel-shaped spiders are considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Their poison can lead to death, Russia’s Mir television reported. But new research has shown that it can also become the basis for a life-saving drug.

Scientists from the University of Queensland isolated the Hi1a molecule from the venom of the Hadronyche infensa spider, which found throughout the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales.

There is also a separate such spider population on K'gari  Island. These spiders have been isolated from other spiders for 20 thousand years. In the course of evolution, the composition of their venom changed and became six times more powerful.

Research has shown that the Hi1a molecule was able to protect heart cells from damage at all stages of a heart attack. It blocked acid-sensitive ion channels and prevented the transmission of signals that cause cell destruction. It is also important that the Hi1a molecule did not affect healthy cells, which reduced the possibility of side effects.

Another study showed that the venom of this dangerous spider can help in the treatment of impotence, as it contains Phα1β neurotoxin.

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