THE University of Queensland has discovered that dangerous juvenile cone snails carry a venom that can be used for medical purposes.
It can be hard to imagine that deadly venom could have any positive outcomes.
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However, scientists at the University of Queensland in Australia are changing how we perceive these snails and their potentially deadly sting.
Those who fear snakes, spiders, and jellyfish may be less than enthused to learn there is another creature lurking in the ocean with an equally dangerous venom.
These creatures roam the barrier floor and are just as lethal as their infamous counterparts.
Scientists at the university reared a cone snail.
If someone comes in contact with one, the snail could sting them and release a highly dangerous venom, according to the Divers Alert Network.
The cone snails toxins affect the nervous system and can cause paralysis, which can lead to respiratory failure and death.
While rearing the cone snail in an aquarium, the scientists discovered a treasure trove of new venoms that could aid drug development.
Professor Richard Lewis, Dr. Aymeric Rogalski, and Dr. Himaya Siddhihalu Wickrama Hewage from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience study venoms as therapeutics.
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In their studies, the professor and doctors found distinguishable differences between adults snails and their juvenile counterparts.
“Juvenile cone snails use a different cocktail of venoms than adult snails to kill their prey,” Professor Lewis said.
This discovery creates new opportunities. The molecules found in the venom of juvenile cone snails can be used to examine potential new leads on drug development.
Prior to this discovery, venom molecules have been used to create pain medication,
However, with these new molecules found in juvenile cone snails, they are researching if the molecules can be used to create medication to cure diseases and not just pain.
After this discovery, the scientists at the University of Queensland now have a sustainable system in which they can rear cone snails in a controlled environment.
This new system can now be used to study juvenile cone snail life cycles and their venom, which will allow for more research on their venom’s medical capabilities.
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