Antidote for jellyfish: a potential way to cure the sting of the most poisonous sea creature in the world

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The jellyfish has about 60 tentacles up to 3 meters. According to the university press release, they live mainly in the coastal waters of northern and western Australia and the Philippines.

Each tentacle contains millions of microscopic hooks filled with venom, and the jellyfish contains enough venom to kill more than 60 humans, the university announced. Associate Professor Greg Neely, one of the authors of the study, said that no other animal carries such a large amount of venom.

Venom can cause tissue necrosis, extreme pain, cardiac arrest and death within minutes of severe exposure. If this does not kill, the venom can cause excruciating pain.

"We've studied the biggest, the most venomous and the scariest," said Neely in a press release. "Our drug is working on the big beast, we do not know yet if it works on other jellyfish, but we know it works on the most deadly."

The researchers found that venom caused the most damage to the skin when it interacted with cholesterol, and that existing cholesterol-lowering drugs could also be used as antidotes to canned jellyfish venom if administered in the blood. 15 minutes after the sting.

The researchers used specific types of cyclodextrins, a family of cholesterol-absorbing drugs, to block venom, Neely explained.

"It turns out that by blocking the venom's ability to kill cells, we can also block some of the pain," said CNN Neely, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, who studies diseases and pain.

According to the university, the antidote was first tested on human cells located on the outside of the body and on live mice. The researchers hope to develop a topical application for humans.

However, it is not clear if the antidote will be effective against severe bites.

"We do not know yet if this will stop a heart attack, it will require more research and we are asking for funding to continue this work," said Neely.

In an article he wrote for The Conversation, Neely said researchers were also looking to develop a treatment for heart disease.

Neely told CNN that he was particularly excited about the potential for using CRISPR to study other types of venom.

"It's a bit like the first time (CRISPR) was used for venom," he said.

"There is just an unlimited amount of cool work that we could do."

It is unclear how often people are killed by jellyfish stings. Experts advise victims to pour vinegar over the wound for at least 30 seconds.
According to the US National Ocean Service, the Australian jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) is considered the most venomous marine animal in the world.

Jellyfish do not float, they can actively swim and gain speed at 7.5 km / h when they hunt, the university said. They feed in shallow waters, mainly small fish and shrimp.

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