Creepy Crawlers Medically Beneficial?

Scientists are boldly going where no man has gone before…right here on earth! The popular 60’s Star Trek saying duly describes how 60 years later medical science is using peculiar resources to potentially save lives.

Starting with bioluminescent creatures, a newly discovered fungus gnat species in South America that emits blue light has been found to help doctors illuminate H.I.V. and even kill cancer cells. Initially blue light wasn’t used in photodynamic therapy clinical trials because tissue penetration wasn’t deep enough. Researchers are now working to create a new cancer-destroying tool that positions blue light inside cancer cells. Read more

Next up: The not so charming hungry caterpillar. The toxic venom of an extremely poisonous Australian caterpillar has shown potential for use in medicine, biotechnology and scientific tools. Tests indicate that the caterpillar’s venom contains high potency bioactive peptides that can kill nematode parasites which are harmful to livestock and also destroy disease-causing pathogens in humans. Read more

Finally, a protein discovered in a funnel-web spider’s venom, Hi1a (not a typo), is capable of blocking so-called death signals sent to cells after cardiac arrest which reduces cell death and improves heart cell survival. First responders could eventually use Hi1a to treat heart attack victims and it could also benefit successful heart transplants as well as increase donor heart transport distances. Read more