A team of researchers has found that spiders could actually be a source of pain relief in future. They said that the spider venom has thousands of proteins and certain helpful molecules that could be used in making powerful painkillers soon. More research is required on the project.

Researchers have discovered that the spiders have some proteins in their venom which results into the activation of pain pathways and cause paralysis and spasticity of muscle in the spider's prey. However, in the case of humans, spider bites can be dreadfully painful.

After observing this variation, the researchers at the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland decided to analyze the venom from 206 different spider species and narrow it down to 7 compounds out of thousands present in the sample. This really proved helpful in blocking the pain signals from reaching the brain.

Julie Garb, a spider researcher at the University of Massachusetts, explained, "If you could take those toxins that block those channels and kind of turn it into a medicine, then you know that would cause those individuals to not be able to sense the stimulation of those neurons that would normally cause pain".

The researchers have suggested that the use of their technique, with the help of which they managed to screen spider venom to identify other compounds, could be used to make new drugs.

This latest discovery could bring smiles on the faces of millions of patients who are suffering from chronic pain and do not respond to any medications.

It is believed that in the US alone, chronic pain costs you around $600 billion per year, including the loss of productivity and medical expenses. This cost is in fact more than the price tag for other deadly diseases like stroke, heart disease and cancer.