ARTICLE 1

Treating Chronic Pain With Spider Venom: Research

Reveals 7 Compounds That Could Block Nerve Activity
Mar 4, 2015 12:00 AM By Lecia Bushak

Spider venom may hold the potential to be therapeutic: from treating muscular dystrophy to chronic pain.

Humans are hardwired to avoid critters like spiders and snakes due to their potential to bite
and be venomous — but new research suggests that spider poison may actually hold the key
for alleviating chronic pain. In a new study, researchers identified 7 compounds in spider
venom that could potentially be therapeutic for people living with chronic pain. The trick lies
within the Nav1.7 channel, which is associated with pain and inflammation in humans. “A
compound that blocks Nav1.7 channels is of particular interest for us,” Professor Glenn King
of the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, an author of the study,
said in the press release. “Previous research shows indifference to pain among people who
lack Nav1.7 channels due to a naturally-occurring genetic mutation — so blocking these
channels has the potential of turning off pain in people with normal pain pathways.” Chronic
pain affects 1 in 5 people worldwide, the authors argue, and it has an enormous economic
burden — costing nearly $600 billion per year — which is larger than the economic costs of
cancer, diabetes, and stroke combined. Unlike acute pain, which happens instantly due to an
injury or disease but typically goes away, chronic pain persists — often in the form of aching
back, headache, or arthritic pain. So what’s so special about spider venom? There are some
45,000 species of spiders in the world, most of whom contain venom made up of hundreds or
thousands of protein molecules; and some of these are able to block nerve activity. But until
recently, scientists haven’t really looked into the qualities of all of these compounds, or their
potential to be used in medicine. It turns out, however, that many of these compounds may be
useful in treating diseases like muscular dystrophy or chronic pain — and possibly others, too.
“A conservative estimate indicates that there are nine million spider-venom peptides, and only
0.01% of this vast pharmacological landscape has been explored so far,” Dr. Julie Kaae Klint,
an author of the study, said in the press release. The researchers of the new study designed
a system that could examine the compounds in spider venoms fairly quickly. They screened
venom from 206 different species of spider, and found that 40 percent of the venoms were
made up of at least one compound that blocked human Nav1.7 channels. 7 compounds were
especially promising, and one was particularly potent, also containing chemical, thermal, and
biological stability (which is needed when designing a new drug). Spider venom has been
investigated in the past for its potential therapeutic uses. For example, in 2012 researchers
dug into its potential use to treat muscular dystrophy — but not much has been developed
since then. If the researchers are to develop a drug or therapy involving compounds from
spider venom, it will likely be quite some time before they can be tested in a clinical setting.
“Untapping this natural source of new medicines brings a distinct hope of accelerating the
development of a new class of painkillers that can help people who suffer from chronic pain
that cannot be treated with current treatment options,” Klint said in the press release.
ARTICLE 2

Newly identified compounds in spider venom could

help treat chronic pain
Published Wednesday 4 March 2015 By Honor Whiteman

The thought of spiders may make your skin crawl, but a new study suggests that maybe we
should put our hatred of the eight-legged beasts to one side; their venom could lead to a more
effective treatment for the 100 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain.

The researchers identified one compound - found in the venom of a spider that belongs to the tarantula family -
that they say shows strong promise as an effective painkiller in humans.

Chronic pain - defined as pain that lasts longer than 3-6 months - is the most common cause
of long-term disability in the US. It occurs when nerves in a part of the body send continuous
signals to the brain via pain pathways. Past studies have found that, in humans, one of the
most common pathways involved in chronic pain is Nav1.7. The researchers of this latest
study - led by Prof. Glenn King of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of
Queensland in Australia - believe targeting this pathway could help treat a wide range of pain
conditions.

"A compound that blocks Nav1.7 channels is of particular interest for us," says Prof. King.
"Previous research shows indifference to pain among people who lack Nav1.7 channels due
to a naturally-occurring genetic mutation - so blocking these channels has the potential of
turning off pain in people with normal pain pathways." The use of spider venom to relieve pain
is not a new idea. Many of the world's 45,000 species of spiders kill their prey by injecting
them with venom that contains up to thousands of protein molecules, known as peptides.
Some of these peptides block nerve activity, so researchers have increasingly focused on
identifying spider venom peptides that could act as pain relievers in humans. However, the
large number of peptides found in spider venom has presented a challenge for scientists. "A
conservative estimate indicates that there are 9 million spider-venom peptides, and only
0.01% of this vast pharmacological landscape has been explored so far," says study author
Dr. Julie Kaae Klint, also of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
Hd1a compound in spider venom shows strong painkiller potential

As such, the researchers created a system described as a "high-throughput fluorescent-based

assay," which allowed them to quickly search for peptides in spider venom that may block the
Nav1.7 pathway. The team used their system to screen the venoms of 205 species of spider.
They found 40% of venoms contained at least one peptide able to block the Nav1.7 pathway
in humans. They narrowed this down to seven promising compounds, identifying one that was
likely to be most effective as a pain reliever.

The compound - Hd1a - was identified in the venom of a species of spider

called Haplopelma doriae, a member of the tarantula family. Not only does this
compound block the human Nav1.7 pathway, the team found it has a chemical structure
that makes it chemically, thermally and biologically stable - meaning it has strong
potential as an effective painkiller in humans.

Based on their findings, the researchers believe their newly created system will pave the way
for further discoveries of potential painkillers for human use. Dr. Klint adds:

"Untapping this natural source of new medicines brings a distinct hope of accelerating the
development of a new class of painkillers that can help people who suffer from chronic pain
that cannot be treated with current treatment options."

The authors say their system could also be used to isolate protein molecules from other animal
venoms. "The venom-based drug discovery pipeline described here provides a paradigm for
high-throughput screening of animal venoms against other therapeutic ion channel targets,"
they add.

In May 2013, Medical News Today reported on a study by Brazilian researchers that detailed
how they engineered a protein from spider venom, paving the way for new antivenom
vaccines.
ARTICLE 3

Spider venom may offer stroke therapy

21 March 2017

A protein in spider venom may help protect the brain from injury after a stroke,
according to research.

Scientists found a single dose of the protein Hi1a worked on lab rats.

They said it showed "great promise as a future stroke treatment" but had not yet been tested
in human trials.

The Stroke Association said the research was at its early stages but it would "welcome any
treatment that has the potential to reduce the damage caused by stroke".

The researchers, from the University of Queensland and Monash University, travelled to
Fraser Island in Australia to hunt for and capture three potentially deadly Australian funnel
web spiders.

"We regularly collect spiders from Fraser Island off the south coast of Queensland," explained
lead researcher Prof Glenn King.

"The reason for this is that funnel-web spiders dig burrows that can be as deep as 20-30 cm.
Thus, digging them up from hard clay soils is very difficult. Fraser Island is a sand island which
makes it easy for us to extract the spiders from their burrows."

The team then took the spiders back to their laboratory "for milking".

This involved coaxing the spider to release its venom, which could then be sucked up using
pipettes.
Next the scientists dissected the venom gland of the spiders and honed in on a protein in the
venom to recreate a version of it in their lab.They then injected this Hi1a into the lab rats.

A stroke is a brain attack that happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off or
there is bleeding on the brain

 Every two seconds, someone in the world will have a stroke

 Almost 17 million people who had never had a stroke before had one in 2010

 Stroke is the second most common cause of death, causing about 6.7 million deaths each
year, one every five seconds

 Almost one in every eight deaths is caused by stroke

 The burden of stroke-related illness, disability and early death is set to double within the
next 15 years

They found that the protein blocked acid-sensing ion channels in the brain - something the
researchers say are key drivers of brain damage after stroke.

Prof King said the protein showed "great promise as a future stroke treatment".

"We believe that we have, for the first time, found a way to minimise the effects of brain
damage after a stroke.

"Hi1a even provides some protection to the core brain region most affected by oxygen
deprivation, which is generally considered unrecoverable due to the rapid cell death caused
by stroke."
The research was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Why look to spider venom in the first place? Prof King explains:

"My lab is interested in developing drugs for human nervous system disorders. Many of these
disorders involve either dysfunctional ion channels (e.g. epilepsy) or over-active ion channels
(chronic pain and stroke).

Thus, we are typically looking for molecules that modulate the activity of ion channels. The
venoms of small venomous invertebrates such as spiders, centipedes and scorpions have
evolved to target the nervous system of insects, and consequently they are absolutely full of
ion channel modulators.

Because the human nervous system is more complex and wired differently to insects, ion
channel modulators that kill or paralyse insects can actually be beneficial to humans. Thus,
looking in venoms for ion channel drugs is not as weird as it seems."
Dr Kate Holmes, deputy director for Research at the Stroke Association, said: "We do not have
an accurate picture of what happens in human brains from this research, therefore, it is
currently unknown if this could be a successful treatment option for humans in the future.

"We welcome any treatment that has the potential to reduce the damage caused by stroke,
particularly if this can benefit people who are unable to arrive at hospital quickly.

"Current treatments must be given in half this time period, and it is too early for us to know if
this research can offer an alternative for stroke patients.

"We urge for stroke to be treated as an emergency - the sooner a person can get to hospital
after a stroke, the sooner the right treatment can be received, which can improve survival and
help recovery."
ARTICLE 4

9 reasons why spiders might actually be useful for humanity

Emily Shackleton Friday 27 Nov 2015 6:15 pm

Spiders have managed to get a bad rep over the years. A lot of people find them creepy, even
terrifying. Every year as the cold weather sets in and the spiders begin moving into our homes,
spider invasion-induced panic begins. And if you listened to anecdotal evidence, you’d think
they were getting bigger every year. Even if you are spider-phobic though, we need to give
them the respect they deserve. They don’t mean us harm (unless we attack them first) and
they actually do us and the world a service. Here are eight reasons why spiders are useful for
humanity.
1) They eat pests Their diet consists of common insect pests you find indoors, like roaches,
earwigs, flies, moths and pesky mosquitoes. Spiders – they’re on our side.
2) And therefore also prevent spread of disease Some of these pests can cause disease.
Fleas, for example, can spread bubonic plague or typhus. They’re pretty nasty. Other disease-
carrying critters they eat include mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches.
3) It’s very rare for them to attack humans.
There’s no reason for spiders to attacks humans unless they feel threatened. We aren’t a food
source to them – they don’t suck our blood. Even the most deadliest spiders are non-
aggressive. The National Geographic says that the black widow spider will only bite in self-
defence, e.g if someone sits on them.
4) Their venom can be used in medicines The venom from a black widow spider may
cause muscle aches, nausea, a paralysis of the diaphragm and potentially death, but it’s being
used in inventive ways in medicine. Chilean scientists, for example, have explored its potential
in erectile dysfunction treatment and as a male contraceptive pill.
5) Their silk is useful in war
Okay, so their silk hasn’t actually been used in engineering – it can’ t be produced fast enough
to be viable. But studies into the design and strength of spiders’ webs have led to producing
super-strong artificial silk that scientists reckon can be used in parachutes and bullet proof
vests.
6) They’re traditionally symbols of good luck The money spider has its name for a reason –
they were meant to bring good fortune. In Ancient Chinese culture, spiders were called ‘ximu’,
or happy insect. It was believed to be particularly lucky if they dropped down from the ceiling,
as if they were dropping down from heaven.
7) They’re good for the environment Spiders’ consumption of insects isn’t just great for your
house. They’re essential for the ecosystem too. They eat bugs that feast on our crops such
as aphids and caterpillars. According to spider expert Norman Platnick from the American
Museum of Natural History, there would be a ‘famine’ without them.
8) And they gave us tinsel…! Sort of… The East European folktale goes that a poor
hardworking widow had bought her children a Christmas tree, but couldn’t afford to decorate
it. On Christmas Eve the children went to bed sad that they wouldn’t have a decorated
Christmas tree. But when they awoke the tree was covered with cobwebs that shimmered in
the sunlight. Hence, tinsel was born. It might only be a legend, but it’s a lovely one.
ARTICLE 5

Why are Spiders Important and What’s Their

Purpose?
Posted by Rita Stadler on May 19th, 2017

Arachnophobia is the 3rd most common of all phobias in America. Considering that there are
at least 4,000 known spider species living in the United States, it’s not hard to see why so
many people get upset about finding a spider in the house.

Understanding the purpose of spiders, and a few fun facts about spiders can help ease some
nerves and make them less scary. Find out more below!

What do spiders do?

There are many benefits of spiders. First and foremost, spiders eat insects. While, the details
can seem a little gruesome if you think about an unsuspecting insect being caught in a sticky
web and consumed by an eight-legged arachnid, the fact is that spiders keep the numbers of
bloodsucking, disease spreading, crop destroying pests under control. That is something we
can all appreciate.

A few more interesting, and lesser known facts about spiders include the benefits they are
providing for medical research and product development. Spider venom has the potential to
act as a safer painkiller, and may be able to treat strokes, muscular dystrophy, and of course,
is used for antivenom in cases of harmful spider bites. The silk spiders use to spin webs is
one of the strongest materials ever discovered. It may not seem like much when you’re
swatting it away with your hands, but the tensile strength of spider silk is comparable to high-
grade alloy steel.

Why are spiders important?

Determining the importance of spiders really depends on who you ask. A gardener or farmer
is likely to recognize how helpful spiders are at preventing pests from destroying crops. A
doctor, scientist, or engineer may appreciate the innovative possibilities related to the study of
spiders. However, the average homeowner would likely argue that spiders don’t
belong anywhere near them because spiders are gross, creepy, and scary!
Being scared of spiders is a normal response, and
it makes sense because there are a few types
of dangerous spiders. However, most spiders
generally prefer to avoid contact with people. Even
in instances of spider bites, healthy adults can
usually survive without serious consequences. Just
because you don’t want to see any spiders inside
your home doesn’t mean spiders don’t serve an
important purpose. Keeping spiders outside where
they belong is the best way to keep everyone safe,
happy, and healthy.

Fun facts about spiders:

Before we tell you how to get rid of spiders, let’s just take a moment to enjoy a few cool spider
facts.

 Spiders have either six or eight eyes depending on the species.

 Despite having so many eyes, many spider species have poor eyesight. They make
up for it with the tiny hairs that line their eight legs. The hairs are able to detect scents,
helping spiders find food and potential mates.
 A spider’s leg hair is also designed to sense vibrations, such as when prey lands on
their web. This is one reason why they don’t like areas with a lot of action or noise.
 Spiders are found on every continent, except Antarctica.
 All spiders produce silk, but not all spiders spin webs.
 Some spiders are actually kind of cute.
 Trapdoor spiders have been documented to live up to 35 years in the wild!
 The Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula is the largest spider in the world, which can reach
up to one foot long in body length and have fangs that are a full inch long! Don’t worry,
its natural habitat is in the rainforests of South America.

How to make your home spider free:

Getting rid of spiders is a common request among homeowners, but finding a safe and
effective method of spider control is crucial. No one wants pest control that harms to people
or pets. There are a few steps you can take to get rid of or prevent spiders in your home
naturally.

The first thing you can do is keep a clean home, clear of clutter and debris. Spiders prefer to
hide in sheltered, undisturbed areas such as behind an old bookshelf, in a rarely used closet,
or down in a dark, dusty basement.

Next, make sure you maintain a pest free home. Spiders won’t live somewhere without an
adequate food supply, so keeping other pest problems under control will also control spiders.
Don’t neglect repairing any damaged window screens, weather-stripping around doors, and
any other small gaps or openings around your home that a spider might use to get inside.
Finally, take a moment to learn more about the habitat of a spider so you can better
understand how they get into your home, and how to keep them out.