Silk spun by spiders used to blow the cobwebs off impotent men’s sex lives after prostate surgery
SILK spun by spiders is being used to help blow the cobwebs off impotent men’s sex lives.
In a world first, super-strong strands were implanted into the genitals of fellas unable to get aroused after prostate surgery.
And most were excited to get a Peter Parker-type tingling sensation down below within three months.
The spider-man-aid gives hope to the thousands of British men left impotent owing to nerve damage caused by prostate cancer surgery.
Researchers extracted gossamer strands from the golden silk orb-weaver spider, whose webs can survive tropical storms.
Six men in their 50s then had them attached to both ends of a severed nerve.
Within weeks, the nerves grew back, and three of the six saw their sexual function bounce back in just 12 weeks.
Two others reported a libido boost and only one failed to respond.
Researcher Dr Nina Harke, of Hannover Medical School in Germany, said: “Spider silk is a promising new biomaterial.
“It’s safe, supports nerve regeneration and it’s tough and elastic.”
Meanwhile, Oxford-based tech outfit Newrotex is developing tiny tubes from spider and worm silk which can make damaged nerves grow up to 6cm.
It means patients may be spared having grafts of healthy nerves.