spider venom

Ischemic strokes (those resulting from a block in an artery feeding the brain) are responsible for much morbidity and misery. Difficulty in speaking or walking are but two of the possible results in those who survive the occurrence. New research from Australia presents a possible means of reducing such effects based on peptides found in the venom of a deadly spider.
An article recently published in the British Journal of Pharmacology discusses the synthesis of a molecule, PnPP-19 and its ability to block pain perception and potentiate erections. So as it turns out, not all spider venom is bad – in fact, it can be pretty great.