Closing Plenary Lecture 6: Deadly cures: a venom-inspired ion channel inhibitor for treating ischemic injuries of the heart and brain
| Friday, July 17, 2026 |
| 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM |
Overview
Prof Glenn King
Details
Stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) account for 27% of global mortality, yet there are no drugs available to prevent the ischemic injury they cause to the brain and heart. The drop in tissue pH during stroke and MI activates acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), a proton-gated sodium channel, which in turn promotes programmed cell death pathways. We isolated a disulfide-rich peptide (Hi1a) from the deadly Australian funnel-web spider that inhibits ASIC1a with picomolar potency and exceptional selectivity [1]. Hi1a dramatically reduces infarct size and improves behavioural outcomes when administered after ischemic stroke in rats [1], improves functional recovery in rodent and pig models of MI [2,3], and radically improves donor heart recovery in rodent and pig models of heart transplantation (HTx) [2,3]. Collectively, our data provide compelling evidence that ASIC1a is a novel target for drugs to reduce the burden of stroke and MI, and increase the pool of donor hearts for transplantation. With a view to clinical translation, we developed miniaturised cyclic-peptide versions of Hi1a and in 2022 founded the Brisbane-based biotech company Infensa Bioscience. Infensa successfully completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers in Q2 2026, with Phase 2 studies in MI and HTx planned for 2027. Infensa is developing even smaller cyclic-peptides with greater ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
1. Chassagnon et al. (2017) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 114:3750–3755
2. Redd et al. (2021) Circulation 144: 947–960
3. Redd et al. (2024) European Heart Journal 45: 1571–1574
Speaker
Prof Glenn F. King
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland
Deadly cures: a venom-inspired ion channel inhibitor for treating ischemic injuries of the heart and brain
Biography
Glenn did his PhD at the University of Sydney before postdoctoral studies at the University of Oxford. After academic stints at the University of Sydney and the University of Connecticut Health Center, he joined the Institute for Molecular Bioscience in 2007. Glenn is a leader in the field of venoms-based drug and insecticide discovery. His early work on venoms led him to found Vestaron Corporation, an agricultural biotechnology company that has developed bee-safe, eco-friendly bioinsecticides. Glenn’s current research focuses on the development of therapeutics to treat cardiovascular and nervous system disorders. He recently co-founded Infensa Bioscience, a biotech company that is developing drugs for treating stroke and myocardial infarction, and he currently serves as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer. Glenn’s laboratory maintains one of the largest venom collections in the world, sourced from more than 500 species of venomous invertebrates. In 2023 Glenn received the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation for his translational work, and he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2024.
Session chair
Danijela Gnjidic
The University of Sydney
Pasquale Maffia
University Of Glasgow
