Chronic pain affects thousands of people around the world and is a factor that considerably worsens the quality of life of those who suffer from it. Opioids are routinely used for its treatment, which are substances with an effect similar to morphine but which have many side effects and are also addictive.
Now, a team of scientists has published a paper in The Journal of Biological Chemistry that reveals that certain molecules present in tarantula venom could be used as an alternative to opioid painkillers to relieve chronic pain.
“Although opioids are effective in producing pain relief, they come with unwanted side effects such as nausea, constipation and the risk of addiction, placing a great burden on society, ” explained Christina Schroeder, researcher at the University of Queensland ( Australia) and author of the work.
The researchers discovered that a small protein present in the venom of a tarantula, known as Huwentoxin-IV, is capable of binding to pain receptors in the body. The next step was to alter this molecule to achieve greater potency and specificity in binding to specific pain receptors. “This ensures that the right amount of mini protein adheres to the receptor and to the cell membrane that surrounds pain receptors”, explains the researcher.
The molecule has been tested in animal models and has been shown to work effectively. “Our findings could lead to an alternative method of treating pain without the side effects and reducing the dependence on opioids experienced by many patients,” the researcher concludes.
