Super treatment of pain relievers from snail venom

Scientists have created more effective analgesics than stalk morphine.

Scientists at the University of Queensland (Australia) have found that a venom protein of cones can reduce pain more effectively than morphine. This is the basis for developing a new drug to treat long-term neuropathy.

"This could be a premise to develop a new class of drugs that can effectively relieve one of the most painful chronic pain today ," said researcher David Craik.

Cones usually live in warm and tropical waters

Cones, often living in humid and tropical seas, use venom to paralyze their prey. Professor Craik said the cones' venom contains hundreds of proteins, including conotoxin , which has an effective analgesic effect in humans.

Scientists are studying to develop a conotoxin-based drug that can be taken orally. Current protein medications must be injected directly into the patient's spinal cord.

Initial trials are underway, with drugs tested on mice showing significant analgesic effects.

"We do not know the side effects because the drug has not been tested in humans, but we think this drug will be safe ," Professor Craik said. 'It works according to a completely different mechanism than morphine, so we think it is less likely to cause side effects'.