The unlikely possible cure for epilepsy
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A small but highly venomous caterpillar from south-east Queensland might be the source of a new treatment for nervous system disorders like epilepsy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience have pointed to a species of nettle caterpillar called </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Doratifera vulnerans</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> as a potential candidate for treatments.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrew Walker, who has been studying the caterpillar’s venom since he found the species four years ago during a field trip, said “it’s strange biology and pain-causing venom fascinated me”.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Walker discovered that the insects were common in Queensland’s south-east, and said its defence mechanism saw it release up to 100 venom-producing spines on its back.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Its binomial name means ‘bearer of gifts of wounds’,” he said.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I have been stung quite a lot of times by these caterpillars.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So the way the spine releases their venom is that they have closed but very thin and sharp tips,” he explained.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you just lightly brush them, or touch them, the tips break off and the venom gets injected.”</span></p>
<p><strong>Potential therapeutics</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The UQ’s team recently published a report in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that found the venom is a source of peptides - smaller versions of proteins - that could be used to treat disorders affecting the nervous system, such as epilepsy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Previously researchers had no idea what was in the venom nor how they induced pain,” Dr Walker said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re right at the very start of … finding out about [the] venom and the toxins it contains.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Walker said these peptides could be developed into medicines to help control the nervous system.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And [they would] allow us to ameliorate the effects of things like epilepsy, when the nervous system is too active,” he said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So you want to calm [the nervous system] down a bit or, in other situations, you may want to activate certain parts of it.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Robinson, the scientist responsible for researching which molecules in the venom caused the pain, said toxins have been used to help understand the human cardiovascular and nervous systems for decades.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My research program, for example, is centered on using toxins as tools to understand our sensory system, that is the neurons responsible for detecting and sending pain signals,” he said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There really is no better place to look for new knowledge than nature.”</span></p>
<p><strong>A new sheep-friendly pesticide</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Walker said, in addition to its potential therapeutic applications, that the venom could be used in the development of bio-friendly, eco-friendly insecticides to kill parasites in sheep.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“First we discovered the structures of the toxins and then that allows us to design ways in the lab to make them,” he said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Then, if we can make them in the lab, that will allow us to try to characterise them and work out what they do.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the peptides already made in the lab through Dr Walker’s research have shown high potency and a potential to kill nematode parasites that are harmful to livestock.</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: imbatuq / Instagram</span></em></p>
