A marine research team found that starfish may soon give an unlikely cure for inflammatory diseases like arthritis and asthma. A team of researchers from the Scottish Association for Marine Science have been studying the greasy matter which coats the starfish.
It is found that greasy matter was better than Teflon for halting debris from gluing to the animal that sits on the ocean floor, therefore keeping it clean. The researchers think that this non-stick feature could give a significant new weapon against inflammatory sickness. These conditions are occurred when natural reactions of the body towards infections accelerate out of control.
The white blood cells which play infection combating role start to build up in the blood vessels and glue to the sides, which can become the cause of tissue damage. The glop of the starfish could be used to coat the blood vessels which would allow blood vessels to flow without difficulty, explained lead researcher Dr Charlie Bavington.
It is a very analogous condition to something gluing to a starfish in the sea. These cells have to attach from a fluid medium to a blood vessel wall, so they thought they could learn something from how starfish prevent this so they could find a way to prevent this in human being, added Dr. Charlie.
This could diminish the quantity of drugs patients would require to take that frequently have unwanted side effects. The starfish have efficiently done countless hard slog for us. It has had billions of years in evolution to arise with molecules that do precise things, stated Prof Clive Page from King’s College Library.