Spider venom could be new Viagra, researchers say

Scientists are one step closer in their quest to transform spider venom into a treatment for erectile dysfunction. 

The Brazilian wandering spider is considered one of the most dangerous arachnids to people due to the potency of its venom. 

A bite causes extreme pain and inflammation, loss of muscle control and breathing problems, risking in paralysis and eventual suffocation without treatment. 

But one unusual aspect of the venom has sparked scientific curiosity for decades.

Men who are bitten can experience unwanted erections that last for hours.

Now scientists are preparing to launch the latest clinical trials to test if the venom could really be a new treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Participants won’t be given the venom directly but instead a single component scientists believe is responsible for its bizarre side effect.

Called BZ371A, this part of venom boosts blood flow across the body.

In nature this makes the spider bite deadlier as it causes the venom spreads faster through the body.

But in isolation it could give hope to millions of men suffering from erectile dysfunction.  

Researchers from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil have already completed a phase one safety trial of BZ371A for men and women. 

This was to help ensure the compound, now isolated from the other dangerous parts of the spider venom, didn’t cause any ill-effects.

A separate pilot test carried out again on both men and women found topical application of BZ371A resulted in an increase in blood flow to the applied area, and for men, this facilitated an erection.

Now researchers are planning a new trial to test BZ371A for men who have undergone the surgical removal of the prostate due to cancer.

These patients can commonly suffer problems with erectile dysfunction as a result of their surgery and resulting damage to the tissues in that area of the body. 

It is hoped that eventually BZ371A will result in a new medication for erectile dysfunction.

While such medications already exist, the most famous of which Viagra, not all men can take them.

It is estimated that about one in three men cannot take currently existing drugs for erectile dysfunction due to health conditions that would make taking them dangerous.

Scientists working on BZ371A hope their compound will help these men in particular, though more trials need to be conducted. 

Professor Maria Elena de Lima, an expert in biochemistry at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, said the research showed the value preserving species like the Brazilian wandering spider. 

‘This helps demonstrate why our fauna must be preserved: it is an inexhaustible source of bioactive molecules, and we do not know even 1per cent of this potential,’ she said. 

The researchers also hope to one day examine if BZ371A can also one day be used to help women suffering sexual dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is a common condition in men especially in those over 40. 

It has a variety of causes the most common being stress, tiredness, drinking too much alcohol, or a side effect of some medicines.

While it is normally nothing serious men are encouraged to speak to their GP they repeatedly struggle to get or maintain an erection to rule out anything sinister, like high blood pressure or a hormone problem.