Scientists are one step closer to turning spider venom into a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
The Brazilian wandering spider is considered one of the most dangerous arachnids to humans due to the strength of its venom.
The bite causes extreme pain and inflammation, loss of muscle control and breathing problems, risking paralysis and possible suffocation without treatment.
But one unusual aspect of the venom has piqued scientific curiosity for decades.
Men who are bitten may experience an unwanted erection that lasts for hours.
The Brazilian wandering spider is considered one of the most dangerous arachnids to humans due to its powerful venom, which has a bizarre side effect in given men with long-lasting erections.
Now scientists are about to start the latest clinical trials to test whether this venom could really be a new treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Participants don’t receive the poison directly, but instead a single ingredient that scientists believe is responsible for its bizarre side effect.
This part of the venom is called BZ371A and it increases blood flow through the body.
In nature, a spider bite is more deadly because it causes the poison to spread more quickly through the body.
But in isolation, it could give hope to millions of men suffering from erectile dysfunction.
Researchers at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil have already completed the first phase of the safety test of BZ371A in men and women.
This was to help ensure that the compound, now isolated from the other dangerous parts of spider venom, would not cause any harmful effects.
A separate pilot test, again conducted on both men and women, found that topical application of BZ371A led to increased blood flow to the applied area and, in men, it facilitated erection.
Now, researchers are planning a new trial to test BZ371A in men who have had their prostates surgically removed for cancer.
These patients may commonly suffer from erectile dysfunction problems due to the surgery and subsequent tissue damage in that area of the body.
We hope that eventually BZ371A will lead to a new drug for erectile dysfunction.
Although such drugs already exist, the most famous of which is Viagra, not all men can take them.
It is estimated that about one in three men cannot take currently existing erectile dysfunction drugs because of health problems that would make their use unsafe.
The researchers working on BZ371A hope that their compound will help these men in particular, although more tests need to be done.
Professor Maria Elena de Lima, a biochemistry expert at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, said the research showed that species such as the Brazilian wandering spider have conservation value.
“This helps demonstrate why our fauna must be preserved: it is an inexhaustible source of bioactive molecules and we do not know even 1 percent of this potential,” she said.
The researchers also hope to one day explore whether BZ371A can also one day be used to help women suffering from sexual dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is a common condition in men, especially in men over the age of 40.
It has various causes, the most common of which are stress, fatigue, excessive alcohol consumption or a side effect of certain medications.
While it’s usually nothing serious, men are encouraged to talk to their GP if they repeatedly struggle to achieve or maintain an erection to rule out something more sinister, such as high blood pressure or a hormonal problem.
