TECH

No morphine? Tarantula poison can be promise for end of chronic pains

According to the scientific portal Phys.org, researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, have detected a new miniprotein in tarantula venom that can potentially relieve severe pain from chronic patients without causing addiction.
Christina Schroeder, of the Institute of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Queensland, said the current opioid crisis in the world leads to the discovery of urgent alternatives to morphine and similar drugs, such as fentanyl and oxycodone, being desperately needed.
"Although opioids are effective in pain relief, they have unwanted side effects such as nausea, constipation and the risk of addiction, putting a huge burden on society," Schroeder said, quoted by the portal.
"Our study found that a miniprotein contained in the Chinese tarantula poison, known as Huwentoxin-IV, acts on pain receptors in the body," he added.
The Scientist reports how they manipulated the miniprotein, obtaining a "greater potency and specificity for specific pain receptors", thus ensuring "that only the right amount of the miniprotein attaches to the receptor and the cell membrane surrounding the pain receptors".
Christina Schroeder further said that miniprotein has been tested in rats and has been shown to work effectively.
"Our findings could potentially lead to an alternative method of pain treatment without side effects and thus reduce the dependence of many individuals on opiates for pain relief," the scientist concluded.

Ria Novosti