Indian researchers have for the first time mapped the venom of a colonial spider found across the Indian subcontinent, discovering compounds that can kill cancer cells in lab conditions.
The team led by A.P. Ajay Kumar of Zoology at Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College, Pattambi, Kerala, studied Stegodyphus sarasinorum, a rare permanently social spider that lives in colonies, builds communal silk nests and hunts cooperatively. It is among a handful of social spiders worldwide, making it important for behaviour and venom biology.
Published in Springer Nature's Scientific Reports, the study provides the first comprehensive molecular profile. It identified 31 protein components through transcriptomics, 32 proteins through proteomics, and 81 metabolites including amino acids and biogenic amines through UHPLC-MS.
The key finding is dose-dependent cytotoxicity. Venom gland extracts were tested against Dalton's Lymphoma Ascites cancer cells, and higher concentrations destroyed a greater proportion of cancer cells under laboratory conditions. The study also notes bioactive compounds linked to anti-cancer, antimicrobial and immune functions.
Lead researchers caution that extensive validation is needed before any clinical application. In-vitro cancer cell death is an early lead, not a drug. However, spider venoms are known to be rich in bioactive peptides, and this inventory opens a new avenue for drug discovery from social spiders, which have been largely unexplored compared to solitary venomous species.