Cone snail venom controls pain
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - 09:31
in Physics & Chemistry
Components of the venom from marine cone snails can block the transmission of signals between nerve cells in minute quantities. This makes them potentially suitable for use as a novel analgesic. Researchers from the universities of Bonn and Jena, the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Leibniz Institute for Age Research in Jena have now identified the structure and action of various forms of mu-PIIIA conotoxin. They presented their results in the journal Angewandte Chemie.