1. Intro Talk: Investigating the Therapeutic Potential of Jellyfish Venom
Olivia Blondheim
Dr. Charles Lunn

2. Introduction to Jellies
Have existed at least 600 million years
Body composition = 95% water
No circulatory or central nervous system
Have a primitive “nerve net”
Nematocysts on each tentacle
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3. Box Jellies (Chironex fleckeri)
Contain toxins that attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells
Victims go into shock and drown or die of heart failure before reaching shore
Each tentacle has about 5,000 nematocysts
Have eyes grouped in clusters of six on the four sides of their bell
Each pair of eyes has a sophisticated lens, retina, iris and cornea

4. Venom Components Chironex fleckeri:
Toxin-1 (CfTX-1) and Toxin-2 (CfTX-2).
Structural proteins, heat shock proteins, oxidoreductive proteins and proteases.
Olindias sambaquiensis:
29 potential toxins similar to peptide toxins from a range of diverse animals including other Cnidaria, wasps, bees, sea cones, etc. These toxins include toxic peptidases, phospholipids, and neurotoxins
Contain k-4-bungarotoxin,an inhibitor of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor derived from snake venom
Butantoxin-like peptides were present, which block different potassium channels
Stomolophus meleagris:
218 toxic-like proteins and a range of proteases
Homologs of ShK proteins and a spider toxin from the Brazilian Amazonian armed spider

5. Potential Uses for Jellyfish Venom
Treatment of Pain
Arthritis
Back pain
Fatigue
Applications for cardiovascular medicine
Study of the evolution of peptide toxins and the discovery of bioactive peptides for drug design
29 potential toxins in O. sambaquiensis x 10,000 species of Cnidaria = 29,000 different Cnidarian toxins

6. Research Interest
How may the venom from the Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) be used for therapeutic purposes?