title: Conotoxins: molecular and therapeutic targets.
abstract: Marine molluscs known as cone snails produce beautiful shells and a complex array of over 50,000 venom peptides evolved for prey capture and defence. Many of these peptides selectively modulate ion channels and transporters, making them a valuable source of new ligands for studying the role these targets play in normal and disease physiology. A number of conopeptides reduce pain in animal models, and several are now in pre-clinical and clinical development for the treatment of severe pain often associated with diseases such as cancer. Less than 1% of cone snail venom peptides are pharmacologically characterised.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia. r.lewis@imb.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D020916:Conotoxins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D020916:Conotoxins; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D015221:Potassium Channels; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018028:Receptors, Neurotensin; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; D015222:Sodium Channels