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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
A huge, horrifying spider might be the last thing you want to think about in the throes of passion, but scientists are now using spider venom to cure erectile dysfunction.Venom from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer), also known as the banana spider, is the perfect candidate for a Viagra-like drug, as it is known to cause painful and long-lasting erections as a side effect."Priapism is a prolonged and painful erection, which can lead to necrosis of the penis", researcher Maria Elena de Lima, a professor of biomedicine and medicine at the Santa Casa Belo Horizonte hospital in Brazil, said in a statement.Stock image of the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer). A toxin from this spider's venom is being developed into a drug to treat erectile dysfunction.ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS Researchers are investigating the use of the venom in a drug to treat erectile dysfunction when Viagra does not work, or is not permitted due to health conditions.Viagra, which contains the drug sildenafil, works by blocking an enzyme that makes the penis more sensitive to a chemical called nitric oxide. This nitric oxide causes increased blood flow to the penis, leading to an erection. The venom of the Brazilian wandering spider results in an influx of nitric oxide, therefore also leading to a painful and sustained erection.Over several years of research, the Brazilian team isolated the active ingredient of the venom causing the erections, the molecule PnPP-19. The scientists then figured out how to make this molecule in the lab—naming the synthetic molecule BZ371A—and tested its effects on mice and rats when applied in a gel.They found that this molecule did indeed trigger a release of nitric oxide, boosting blood flow to the genitals. It was also found to work in older rodents, and those with high blood pressure and diabetes, indicating that it may work for those demographics in humans too, who cannot use Viagra.Stock image of a man holding a viagra pill.ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS "We synthesized this molecule and began testing it on mice and rats, to check whether it would have the same effect as the original molecule, that is, the spider toxin. After in vitro tests, that is, in the corpus cavernosum isolated from mice, as well as in anesthetized animals, we observed that this molecule, much smaller and non-toxic, caused erections in these animals," de Lima said.The researchers have subsequently trialed the gel in men and women, finding that it was successful, and also tested it in tandem with other drugs like Viagra."In both men and women, it caused an increase in blood flow in the inguinal region. This test was very important to demonstrate that the peptide had an effect on
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