A new study published in PNAS details a method in which researchers analyze the venom toxins’ structure using bioinformatics and biochemical tools. But larger members of this species, can, in fact, deliver a fatal dose of toxins to humans.
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“We anticipate there are a lot more interesting molecules to be found in the venom of other species, and we are keen to explore these using our new approach”, he added. The team said they expect that these newly discovered frameworks will also lead to new medications, which can be used to treat pain, cancer and a range of other diseases.
A new study from UQ researchers found thousands of new peptide toxins hidden deep inside the venom of just one type of Queensland cone snail.
The method, which involves accurate measurement and analysis of the structure, composition and activity of a diverse range of protein in the venom, has led to the discovery of the highest number of peptides found in the venom of a single cone snail.
Cone snails are known to produce toxin that has medical benefits, and these findings allow scientists to understand more about this deadly creature than they ever have before, especially the complex venom it holds within.
Paul Alewood from the University of Queensland said that they “also discovered six original “frameworks”” which he claims “will support drug development in the near future”. With 700 different species, the possibilities of more drug leads is promising. Mainly, its speed. Some of the same molecules targeted to incapacitate or kill its prey are the same ones needed to treat diseases.
As stated by a PBS special on the potential applications of cone snails, there have been more than 2,500 research papers on the topic in the last few decades and the properties that make its venom
“thousand times stronger than morphine, the most powerful traditional painkiller.”
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According to the Nature article, previous research discovered one component put mice to sleep while others had various neurological effects like making the animal shake or run in circles. All these were discovered in a single specimen of cone snail, said the scientists. The cure (or at least better treatment) for devastating diseases and cancers could rest in a shell off the coast of Australia.
