A Sydney funnel-web spiders rears up on its hind legs as a tube used to extract venom is placed nears its claws at the Australian Reptile Park at Gosford, 100 km (60 miles) north of Sydney
A Sydney funnel-web spiders rears up on its hind legs as a tube used to extract venom is placed nears its claws at the Australian Reptile Park at Gosford, 100 km (60 miles) north of Sydney, Reuters/Mark Baker

A new study has shown that an ingredient in the venom of Sydney's funnel-web spider venom can protect cells from being destroyed by a stroke. This is according to scientists from the University of Queensland's centre for pain research.

Glenn King, one of the researchers, said that a molecule called the Hi1a has potential to protect cells from stroke. This was discovered by King's team by chance as they were sequencing the DNA of toxins in the venom of other funnel-web spiders in Queensland and New South Wales.

According to their study, the Hi1a molecule is similar to two copies of a brain cell-protecting chemical that were stitched together. This prompted King and his colleagues to try and synthesise the venom.

"It proved to be even more potent," King said. If the compound is proven effective in human trials, then King's discovery may be the first drug that can protect patients from the loss of neurons caused by strokes.

In King's study, a single small dose of the venom's molecule in rats have protected their neurons from induced strokes. The Hi1a helped reduce brain damage in rats by 80 percent even two hours after the induced stroke.

However, the compound was proven to be effective even eight hours after stroke. It has reduced the amount of brain damage in tested rats by about 65 percent.

According to the Guardian, a bite from an Australian funnel-web spider is extremely lethal. Its venom can kill a human in about 15 minutes. However, the Hi1a molecule is discovered to be a harmless chemical involved in the production of the funnel-web spider venom.

A stroke can occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, therefore starving the brain of oxygen. Approximately six million people die from stroke yearly, which makes it the second-largest cause of death worldwide after heart attacks. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's report, an estimated 377,000 people, or 2 percent of the population, had a stroke at some point in their lives.

Strokes can cause the oxygen level in the brain to drop. If this happens, the brain will have to switch to a different way of burning glucose. The brain normally oxidises glucose to function. However, it will rely on a method called anaerobic gycolysis during stroke.

This process will keep the brain function, but the reaction produces acid. Unfortunately, this byproduct can kill brain cells.

King and his colleagues hope to begin human trials within the next two years. However, they added they have to test if the molecule works on all kinds of stroke.

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