The mucus that covers the spiny starfish Marthasterias glacialis could inspire new medications for asthma, hay fever and arthritis, reports BBC News Science & Environment.
Reaching over 35 cm in diameter, Marthasterias glacialis lives off the coast of Scotland. No marine microorganisms, eagerly covering shipwrecks or undersea structures, settle on its thorny body. The mucus protects the starfish from bacteria, larvae and viruses as effectively as if it were coated with Teflon. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties.
Although inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection, inflammation may be related to an abnormal response by your immune system. The accumulation of white blood cells can damage tissues, such as blood vessels. A starfish-like substance introduced into them could prevent damage.
Currently used anti-inflammatory agents such as steroids have many undesirable side effects. Perhaps by mimicking the starfish millions of years of evolution, new and better drugs can be obtained. Scientists from King’s College London are working on it. (PAP)