Just when you thought you had heard everything out there on the subject of GMOs and the latest creations of mega biotech, a new level of modification makes even GMO apples seem tame. Specifically, we are talking about the use of GMO spider venom as an alternative to the highly popular erectile disfunction drug Viagra.
But how are they possibly related? As it turns out, spider venom can play a role in the regulation of blood flow to various body parts, including the genitals. And when the biotech industry is involved, augmenting the DNA of a living animal and splicing it into another host is simply clockwork. So why not modify some spider venom properties and create the new Viagra (while reaping billions and shying away from the whole safety testing thing).
And if you think this is just too insane to be true, checkout how Wired breaks it down in their report entitled ‘GMO Spider Venom may be the next Viagra':
“Humans have been chasing longer and stronger erections for centuries. From ground-up ants and “Spanish flies” to modern drugs, men hope to bring back some magic into a cocked-up sex life. How far would you be willing to go for an erection? Would you take a drug made from genetically modified spider venom? Medical researchers think that will be the next big thing to…. make things bigger…
Don’t expect to see this drug in your doctor’s office anytime soon. Now that scientists can make larger quantities of the chemical, trials to determine the toxicity and efficacy of the drug in humans will still take years. Right now, we only know how to give mice and rats (and amputated human penises) a stiffie with PnTx2-6.”
Would you take a GMO spider venom pharmaceutical?