Deadly spider venom could ward off stroke brain damage, say doctors
by Ian Sample Science editor from on (#2GG67)
Ingredient in funnel web spider venom can protect cells from being destroyed by a stroke, even when given hours after the event, study shows
Doctors have stumbled on an unlikely source for a drug to ward off brain damage caused by strokes: the venom of one of the deadliest spiders in the world.
A bite from an Australian funnel web spider can kill a human in 15 minutes, but a harmless ingredient found in the venom can protect brain cells from being destroyed by a stroke, even when given hours after the event, scientists say.