Australian researchers have found that spider venom might play a key role in developing better painkillers in the future.

Seven compounds found in spider venom could lead a new class of painkillers with fewer side effects than current medications, said researchers from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience of the University of Queensland (UQ).

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They said peptides (or naturally occurring molecules) in spider venom can block the molecular pathway responsible for sending pain signals from nerves to the human brain.

Researchers analyzed the venom from 205 spider species and found that 40 percent of the venoms had at least one peptide that blocked the human proteins known as "voltage-gated sodium channels" that play a key role in pain transmission.

They were most interested in the "Nav1.7 channel" because previous research had found people that lacked Nav1.7 due to a naturally-occurring genetic mutation were unable to experience pain, said team leader Professor Glenn King.

Of the seven promising peptides identified, researchers discovered one had the right structure, stability and potency to form the basis of a future painkiller.

"So blocking this channel could potentially help us to switch off pain in people with normal pain pathways," said Prof. King.

"We have nine sodium channels in our bodies and our challenge is to find peptides that can distinguish between these channels and target only Nav1.7 - something current pain relief drugs can't do but spider venom peptides most likely can."

"Our next step is to continue exploring the clinical potential of these peptides -- and the ones we are still yet to find -- in the hope of developing better treatments for the one in five Australians living with persistent pain."

Spider venom peptides evolved to help spiders immobilize or kill their prey. There are ore than nine million spider venom peptides contained within the venoms of the world's 45,000 known spider species.

Only 0.01 percent of this vast pharmacological landscape has been explored so far, said Dr Julie Kaae Klint, a former IMB postdoctoral researcher and current research associate at Evotec.