One of the world’s deadliest spider venoms could help heart attack patients

Researchers have discovered that the venom of one of the deadliest in the world spiders may be able to help recover heart attack patients and prolong the life of the donor hearts obtained.

According to a study published Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal Circulation, a group of researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia found that a molecule in the venom of Australian funnel-shaped spiders was linked to improving the viability of heart cells and could be used in treatments medical services for heart attacks and the recovery of donations for transplants.

University of Queensland Professor Glenn King and fellow researchers Dr Nathan Palpant and cardiologist Peter Macdonald explained in their research paper that Australian funnel web spider venom contains the Hi1a protein, which would interrupt the message that a cell dies in the cases. oxygen deprivation, such as during a heart attack or transplant.

“Ischemia-reperfusion injury [IRI] is one of the major risk factors implicated in the morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease, “they write in their report.” During cardiac ischemia, the accumulation of acidic metabolites results in a decrease in intracellular pH and extracellular which can reach 6.0 -6.5. “

“The problem with the heart is that it has no capacity for regeneration,” King said. The Guardian of the project. “People can survive a heart attack, but … those muscle cells will never come back, so they have badly damaged hearts. That’s why any tissue you can save during or after a heart attack is really, really important. . “

Indeed, according to the University of california, Los Angeles Heart and Vascular Services, cardiac tissue cannot regenerate once damaged. Deterioration of muscle can lead to heart failure, which affects 500,000 Americans each year.

“Despite decades of research, no one has been able to develop a drug that stops this signal of death in heart cells, which is one of the reasons heart disease continues to be the leading cause of deaths worldwide, ”Palpant added in a statement. statement to University of Queensland News.

The venom of Australian funnel-web spiders also contains delta-hexatoxins, which are the peptides that make the venom. dangerous to humans and primates. There have been 13 recorded deaths of funnel web spiders, but none since anti-venoms became available in the 1980s. An estimated 30 to 40 people are bitten each year.

When a person is bitten by the spider, the venom blocks the nerve impulse to the muscles and causes paralysis of the entire nervous system. This causes a series of symptoms, including muscle twitching, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, and increased blood pressure, among others.

However, the potential of the Hi1a molecule has left Macdonald particularly optimistic about the future of cardiac medicine, especially with regard to heart transplants.

“Usually, if the donor’s heart has stopped beating for more than 30 minutes before collection, the heart cannot be used,” he said in a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). “Even if we can buy an extra 10 minutes, it could be the difference between someone who has a heart and someone who misses something.

“For people who are literally on the verge of death, this could change their lives,” he added.

“It’s always a race for the surgeon to try to keep that heart alive before putting it into the recipient. We believe the drug [candidate] can be used to increase the number of donor hearts that will be available for transplantation, ”King also shared with The Guardian.

King told the University of Queensland News he hoped Hi1a could one day be administered by emergency services responding to the scene.

“This is especially important in rural and remote parts of Australia where patients and treating hospitals may be far apart – and when every second counts,” he told the outlet. “In addition, it could aid in the transfer of donor hearts for heart transplantation, thereby allowing those donor hearts to be transported longer distances and thereby increasing the network of available donors and recipients.”

News week contacted King, Palpant and Macdonald for further comment on their research, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

In 2018, Colossus, the Australian funnel-web spider, made headlines when it was obtained by the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby, NSW, and “treaty” as part of a project to create additional anti-venom serums and drugs.