Abstract:
Phoneutria nigriventer is a spider often found in the south and southeastern regions of Brazil whose bites cause envenomation symptoms. The venom of this spider has a set of toxins capable of alleviating the painful sensation by blocking ion channels related to neurotransmission. Among these toxins, Phα1β is the best studied and has antinociceptive action in several rodent pain models. This talk will present an overview of Phα1β discovery, actions, biological mechanisms, and recent advances in the application of this toxin as a potential pain killer. Finally, it will be discussed how structural molecular biology and bioinformatics gave rise to new opportunities for the pre-clinical development of this drug prototype.