Deadly spider venom minimizes CV damage after heart attack, says Australia doctors

A deadly spider can actually be a life saver thanks to a medical breakthrough in Australia in which researchers discovered the venom from a funnel-web spider could be used to help people who suffered from heart attacks.

The research is a byproduct of previous studies by the scientists led by Professor Glenn King from the University of Queensland into how the deadly spider’s venom can be used for good. The scientists using the spider venom discovered a molecule that can stave off brain damage when someone suffers a stroke. The scientists have now been able to isolate that molecule and turn into a drug treatment.

“What it’s doing is preventing the death of heart muscle cells, so even in patients that survive a heart attack or cardiac arrest they end up with a fairly damaged heart, part that won’t grow back,” Professor King said in a recent report. “We found that it worked for stroke, so we asked the question if it would work for ischemic events in the heart and now that we’re shown that it does protect the heart, the question is, is it useful for preventing ischemic event in other organs?”