With a length of 15 cm, eight hairy legs and deadly venom, the spider-banana at first glance she doesn’t seem to be man’s best friend. Nevertheless Brazilian scientists were inspired by its venom to develop a synthetic molecule for a gel that treats erectile dysfunction.

“30 years ago, a research team was formed to study the venom of the banana spider (…) because patients bitten by this arthropod presented symptoms of priapism, prolonged and painful erection,” explained Marcia Elena Borges, researcher at Ezequiel Dias Foundation (Funed) of Belo Horizonte.

The banana spider or phoneutria nigriventer as its scientific name is, is one of the most poisonous species in the world. It lives in South America and got this name because it is often found near banana plantations. But in Minas Gerais, the State whose capital is Belo Horizonte, it is also found in other rural areas as well as in urban centers.

In Funed, a biologist delicately grabs one of these spiders and with tweezers extracts a few drops of its venom from the pincers with which it stings its victims. The venom is then sent to a laboratory at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). “It is only used to learn the properties of the molecules that cause priapism. We created a synthetic molecule, much simpler and less toxic,” said researcher Maria Elena de Lima.

The patent for this new molecule has been bought by the pharmaceutical company Biozeus, which plans to market a gel that will treat erectile dysfunction. By applying it to the genitals, it will work within minutes, assured de Lima.

The researcher explained that their study could also prove useful in prostate cancer because many men refuse to undergo a radical prostatectomy for fear of experiencing erectile problems. In this case the erectile dysfunction is caused by the fact that the nerves are injured during the surgery. The molecule, which was based on spider venom, enables the activation of the production of nitric oxide, which is necessary for an erection because it helps dilate blood vessels. It can be produced by the nerves but also by other cells on which the gel acts, Maria Elena de Lima explained.

The second of three phases of testing will begin soon. Her goal is to determine the effect of the molecule on prostatectomy patients and other volunteers.

“People need to understand that we shouldn’t kill animals, even poisonous ones, because they are like a library of yet unknown molecules,” commented the researcher.