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LONDON (Reuters) – Australia's deadly spiders can be used to develop a drug that prevents brain damage after a stroke, scientists said.
Australian fungal spiders, one of the most dangerous species in the world, live in shady and protected areas, and their toxins can kill humans in just 15 minutes as they attack the nervous system.
However, no one has died from the spider-funnel bite since 1981, after the invention of a staggering antidote, according to "Russia Today".
Professor Glenn King and colleagues at the University of Queensland have discovered amino acid peptides in spider venom that can reduce the risk of brain damage after a stroke.
The peptide, called Hi1a, blocks the ion channels that detect acids in the brain and is the major factor in brain damage after clot formation.
"When you have a stroke, oxygen does not circulate in certain parts of the brain, which changes the way the fuel is used and the brain becomes acidic," said King Brain. "
"You can not stop neurons that are already dead, but after eight hours of stroke, you can administer this medicine, which provides extraordinary protection to the brain."
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