How the venom from one of the world’s deadliest spiders could one day SAVE your life
THE venom from one of the world’s deadliest spiders could be used as a potentially lifesaving treatment for heart attacks and strokes.
The Australian k’gari funnel web spider has a fearsome reputation due to its highly toxic venom.
But this lethal substance could now be used to treat heart attack and stroke victims, thanks to the discovery of a team of scientists at the .
Associate Professor Nathan Palpant and Professor Glenn King developed a drug from a molecule found in the venom of the Fraser Island funnel web spider, dubbed Hi1a.
They found that this particular molecule could protect cells from the damage caused by a heart attack or stroke, after a series of pre-clinical tests designed to mimic real-life treatment scenarios
In the wake of a heart attack, a 'death signal' is sent from the heart, meaning blood flow to the organ is reduced and resulting in a lack of oxygen to heart muscle, Dr Palpant explained.
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“The lack of oxygen causes the cell environment to become acidic, which combine to send a message for heart cells to die," he went on.
“Despite decades of research, no one has been able to develop a drug that stops this death signal in heart cells, which is one of the reasons why heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the world.”
But Hi1a could work to stop this 'death signal', the scientist said
“The Hi1a protein from spider venom blocks acid-sensing ion channels in the heart, so the death message is blocked, cell death is reduced, and we see improved heart cell survival," Dr Palpant went on.
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At the moment, there are no clinically approved drugs that block cell death after a heart attack, the study published to the stated.
Cariporide is the only cardioprotective drug to reach Phase 3 clinical trials so far, which was shelved after it was found to cause side effects.
Now, Hi1a has met critical benchmarks towards becoming a treatment during its pre-clinical tests, meaning trials can now progress to the next stage.
“These tests are a major step towards helping us understand how Hi1a would work as a therapeutic – at what stage of a heart attack it could be used and what the doses should be,” Dr Palpant said.
“We established that Hi1a is as effective at protecting the heart as the only cardioprotective drug to reach Phase 3 clinical trials, a drug that was ultimately shelved due to side effects.
“Importantly, we found that Hi1a only interacts with cells in the injured zone of the heart during an attack and doesn’t bind to healthy regions of the heart – reducing the chance of side effects.”
How will Hi1a work?
“Hi1a could reduce damage to the heart and brain during heart attacks and strokes by preventing cell death caused by lack of oxygen,” Professor King said.
“Our testing and safety studies from independent contract research organisations has provided evidence that Hi1a could be an effective and safe therapeutic.”
Infensa Bioscience, a company co-founded by the researchers, raised $23 million in 2022 to develop Hi1a.
Infensa CEO and UQ researcher, Associate Professor Mark Smythe, said cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally.
“Most deaths from cardiovascular disease are caused by heart attacks and strokes, yet there are no drugs on the market that prevent the damage they cause,” Dr Smythe said.
“An effective drug to treat heart attack would have worldwide impact, providing a breakthrough to improve the lives of millions of individuals living with heart disease.”
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In the UK, there are as many as as 100,000 hospital admissions each year are due to heart attacks, according to the .
The same number of Brits are affected by strokes yearly, according to .
