Science

Antidote found for venomous box jellyfish


Antidote is created for the world’s most venomous creature the box jellyfish which is so toxic one sting can kill 60 people

  • Australian box jellyfish sting can kill in just minutes it is so strong 
  • An antidote has never existed but researchers think they have finally created one
  •  It works by knocking out the genes and pathway which the toxin manipulates 
  • The team noticed the venom needs cholesterol to kill human cells and decided to test whether existing drugs could stop it 

An antidote has been discovered for the world’s most venomous creature, the Australian box jellyfish.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have found an antidote for the sting of the jellyfish – which carries enough venom to kill more than 60 people.

A single sting from the creature will cause excruciating pain and skin necrosis, and, if the dose of venom is large enough, cardiac arrest and death within just minutes.

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Jellyfish are among the most venomous creatures in the world, but scientists in Australia believe they may have found an antidote for their stings (stock image)

Jellyfish are among the most venomous creatures in the world, but scientists in Australia believe they may have found an antidote for their stings (stock image)

Using genome editing, pain researchers at the university’s Charles Perkins Centre found a ‘molecular antidote’ which blocks the symptoms of a box jellyfish sting if applied to skin within 15 minutes.

The team noticed the venom needs cholesterol to kill human cells and decided to test whether existing drugs could stop it.

Since there are lots of drugs available that target cholesterol the team tried one out, said lead author Raymond Lau.

‘It worked,’ he said. ‘It’s a molecular antidote.’

The researchers took millions of human cells and knocked out a different human gene in each one, before adding the jellyfish venom and looking for cells that survived the process.

‘It’s the first molecular dissection of how this type of venom works, and possibly how any venom works,’ the Raymond Lau said in a statement.

The researchers believe the drug – which is safe for human use and is already available – will stop necrosis, skin scarring and pain completely when applied to the skin, but further research is needed to find out whether it will stop a heart attack.

The researchers believe the drug - which is safe for human use and is already available - will stop necrosis, skin scarring (pictured) and pain completely when applied to the skin, but further research is needed to find out whether it will stop a heart attack

The researchers believe the drug – which is safe for human use and is already available – will stop necrosis, skin scarring (pictured) and pain completely when applied to the skin, but further research is needed to find out whether it will stop a heart attack

Researchers at the University of Sydney have found an antidote for the sting of the jellyfish - which carries enough venom to kill more than 60 people (stock image)

Researchers at the University of Sydney have found an antidote for the sting of the jellyfish – which carries enough venom to kill more than 60 people (stock image)

WHY ARE JELLYFSH STINGS DANGEROUS?

The sting of the Box jellyfish carries enough venom to kill more than 60 people.

The venom needs cholesterol to kill human cells

Researchers found that the pathway is so efficient it spreads rapidly round the body and cells shut down. 

A single sting from the creature will cause excruciating pain and skin necrosis, and, if the dose of venom is large enough, cardiac arrest and death within just minutes.

‘We know the drug will stop the necrosis, skin scarring and the pain completely when applied to the skin,’ said associate professor Neely.

‘We don’t know yet if it will stop a heart attack. That will need more research, and we are applying for funding to continue this work.’

The antidote was shown to work on human cells outside the body before being successfully tested on live mice. 

Scientists now want to develop a topical application for humans.

Stings from box jellyfish – which can be smaller than a fingernail or up to ten feet long depending on the species – can cause acute muscular pain, violent vomiting, feelings of ‘impending doom’, hair that stands on end, strokes, heart failure and death within minutes.

So far they have only tested the sting from the larger, more deadly species. 

The team hopes that eventually a topical cream or spray can be developed to prevent stings that are thought to kill dozens of people each year and hospitalise thousands more.

The findings were published in Nature Communications journal.





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