Natural Medicine That Works: Cone Snail Venom Minimizes Pain - Here's Why
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - 15:31
in Biology & Nature
The venom from marine cone snails, used to immobilize prey, contains numerous peptides called conotoxins, some of which can act as painkillers in mammals. A recent study provides new insight into the mechanisms by which one conotoxin, Vc1.1, inhibits pain. The findings help explain the analgesic powers of this naturally occurring toxin and could eventually lead to the development of synthetic forms of Vc1.1 to treat certain types of neuropathic pain in humans. read more