Cone snails and plants used to develop oral drug for pain

April 16, 2008

Molecules from cone snail venom and African plants are being used by

Queensland researchers as a blueprint to develop an oral drug to

treat chronic pain.

Professor Craik and Dr from the Institute for

Molecular Bioscience have received $218,275 from the National Health

and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to aid in translating their

research into a product available for Australians to use.

Studies on the molecule they have developed have shown that it is

effective in relieving neuropathic pain in animals.

" Neuropathic pain is one of the most severe forms of chronic pain,

and very difficult to treat, " Dr said.

" Regular pain occurs when the nervous system is stimulated by, for

example, an injury, whereas neuropathic pain occurs when the nervous

system itself is damaged. "

" Current treatments in neuropathic pain only provide meaningful

relief for one in three patients, and all of the current market-

leading drugs have serious side effects, as well as taking up to

three weeks to begin to take effect. "

Peptides (small proteins) from cone snail venom have attracted recent

attention from scientists, as they can target receptors with a high

degree of accuracy, thus eliminating severe side effects.

But peptides also degrade rapidly in the body. Professor Craik and Dr

have overcome this problem by engineering a circular peptide,

using a circular protein backbone discovered by Professor Craik and

found in plants such as violets.

The NHMRC Development grant will allow the researchers to further

test their molecule to fully establish its therapeutic potential.

" Successful outcomes from this project will provide additional

confirmation of the suitability of our molecule as a treatment for

neuropathic pain, " Dr said.

" Armed with these data, we will be able to secure a commercial

partner and develop this molecule into a tablet for sufferers of

chronic pain. "

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