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1: Toxicon. 2001 Oct;39(10):1447-51.Click here to read Links

Cone venom--from accidental stings to deliberate injection.

McIntosh JM, Jones RM.

Departments of Psychiatry and Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112, USA. mcintosh@biology.utah.edu

Cone snails have long been of note due to their colorful shells and deadly venom. Over the years, a number of people who have encountered these molluscs have been injured or killed by their sting. Biochemical analysis of the venom components has revealed a plethora of peptides and proteins that target a variety of receptors and ion channels. Pharmaceutical companies are now utilizing the selectivity and potency of Conus-derived peptides to develop novel medications for pain, epilepsy and other disorders.

PMID: 11478951 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]