Deadly spider’s venom could someday help heart attack victims, Australian scientists say

SYDNEY — Scientists in Australia, home to some of the most poisonous creatures on Earth, have made a discovery about spider venom that they hope could lead to a new class of drugs to help heart attack victims.

Spiders use their venom to immobilize or kill their prey. Researchers from the University of Queensland and Sydney’s Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute are working on a potential drug candidate derived from spider venom that blocks the “death signal” sent from the heart in the wake of a heart attack that causes heart cells to die. There are no drugs in clinical use that prevent the damage caused by heart attacks, the researchers said.