title: Conotoxins as selective inhibitors of neuronal ion channels, receptors and transporters.
abstract: Cone snails have evolved a vast array of peptide toxins for prey capture and defence. These peptides are directed against a wide variety of pharmacological targets, making them an invaluable source of ligands for studying the properties of these targets in normal and diseased states. A number of these peptides have shown efficacy in vivo, including inhibitors of calcium channels, the norepinephrine transporter, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, NMDA receptors and neurotensin receptors, with several having undergone pre-clinical or clinical development for the treatment of pain.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, 4072, Australia. r.lewis@imb.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020916:Conotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D027981:Symporters / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020916:Conotoxins; D007473:Ion Channels; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; C493227:SLC6A2 protein, human; D027981:Symporters