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Thrixopelma pruriens is a New World theraphosid species from Peru.  Its venom contains several highly channel-specific peptides.  Already isolated from this venom is ProTx-I (Protoxin-I), an inhibitor of Ca+, K+ and Na+ voltage-gated channels[1], and ProTx-II (Protoxin-II), a potent selective modifier of voltage gating in NaV channels that is dose-responsive[2]. ProTx-II, when discovered, was the most specific blocker of NaV 1.7 known to man and therefore shows promise in research into pain surpression.  It’s IC50 against NaV 1.7 is 0.3nM, whereas its closest second target, NaV 1.6, has an IC50 of over 80x higher[3]. As such this venom has wide potential within pain research.

[1] http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P83480

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18657562

[3] http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/74/5/1476.full.pdf