Did You Know? The Leap from Snails to Pain Management
Snails have been on this planet for 500 million years — long before the dinosaurs roamed the lands. With more than 60,000 different species, snails have evolved to live and thrive in all different types of environments. Of all those species of snails, about 600 are of the genus Conus, more widely known as cone snails. They have, like the name suggests, conical shells with decorative patterns so unique and desirable that they were once used as currency.
But cone snails are not cute, cuddly creatures; instead, they can be deadly. After locating prey or finding themselves in danger, they fire a large, harpoon-like tooth that injects venom — a neurotoxin — into their target, affecting the nervous system. Depending on how much venom is injected, it can cause paralysis, respiratory failure, or even death.
While studying and classifying the different compounds and peptides in cone snail venoms, researchers discovered many things, even something that is applicable to humans. They found a compound that, when injected into mice, was observed to block pain in a similar way as morphine. This discovery prompted research into isolating the compound to create an opioid-free pain relief drug. The venom was later derived into a synthetic peptide known as ziconotide that can be injected directly into spinal fluid to manage chronic pain.
In a recent Research!America-commissioned survey, 45% of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, say opioid addiction in their communities has worsened over the past five years. This pain management discovery, approved by the FDA in 2004 for patients who have had no success with other pain relief methods, provides people with an opioid-free option. This has spawned other branches of research and could one day lead to things like addiction treatment and long-term pain relief, especially in cancer patients.
As scientists isolate and focus on different parts of cone snail venom, they can see behaviors and study how the different parts of this venom work. Over time, researchers have been able to see applications of this extreme pain relief effect for those undergoing chemotherapy treatments and even after treatment. According to Research!America’s commissioned survey, the second-most concerning health issue for Americans, regardless of political affiliation, was cancer, making this pain relief therapy a potential therapy that could benefit many people. Some early research even shows anti-ovarian cancer activity by some conotoxins.
Pain treatments are not all that has been done, though; it’s estimated that more than 100,000 different bioactive compounds are present in cone snail venom, which provides potential for many types of research. For instance, another species of cone snail has a compound in their venom called consomatin that mimics somatostatin in humans, which controls blood sugar levels. When this species of cone snail attacks, their venom can induce hypoglycemic shock in prey, working faster than somatostatin does in humans to inhibit the release of both insulin and glucagon. So, by observing the consomatin in cone snail venom and how it acts, researchers hope to gain valuable insights into how to make human insulin work faster.
These are incredible breakthroughs for some of the largest health issues facing the American public. None of these discoveries could have been possible without first looking into cone snail toxins and venoms. There was no telling what researchers would find, but, once again, basic research has come through for patients.