Scientists create painkillers that could be more powerful than morphine from the venom of snails

Mail on Sunday (UK) ^ | 10:43 EST, 16 March 2014 | Sophie Jane Evans

[Olog-hai]

Scientists have created powerful painkillers from the venom of snails, it has been revealed.

The substances, based on a tiny protein found in cone snails’ venom, could be more effective than morphine.

They may one day lead to the development of a drug to treat severe and chronic nerve pain. …

[Olog-hai]

This was news eight years ago, funny enough.

[Darksheare]

“So we snail venom darted a bunch of people who apparently randomly expired afterwards! Totally coincidental and not related to the snail venom itself. But the pain relief was a success!”

[Vendome]

[Ronin]

Snails have venom?

[NoCmpromiz]

snail venom darted a bunch of people

So this would be the famous snail darter that caused the delay of the Tellico Dam, yes?

[Olog-hai]

Cone snails do.

[Darksheare]

They detest all life that moves faster.
So they have rather venomous thoughts towards us especially.

/kidding.
Certain species of marine snail have rather nasty barbed darts that they launch at fish.
The venom is rather brutal.

[Ronin]

Oh great... now I am going to worry that every snail I see is just waiting for a chance to rush out and stab me with a venomous barb!

The horror... the horror...

[Darksheare]

The madman who darted those poor snails?
Terrible!
*eyes shift left and right*

Actually, no.

[LukeL]

Reminds me of the real life experiment where scientists gave an elephant LSD to test its effects. The elephant quickly died and the conclusion was that elephants were sensitive to LSD.

[NoCmpromiz]

Here ya go...

Killer Cone Snails

By the way, I've seen teenagers eat like that... ;-)

[Olog-hai]

No, not every snail. Just these ones, and their danger is relative to their size (i.e. the bigger they are, the more potent the venom).

[Darksheare]

Conus snails in the ocean have some interesting toxins to read up on.
But the mental image of a snail wearing snail gang colors and threatening people is amusing.

[Darksheare]

Mkultra, its fun to randomly dose strangers with LSD because we’re the CIA...

[Darksheare]

I’ve seen my brother’s spawn eat like that.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just slowly ingesting this. With my face in the plate. Nothing to be alarmed by.”

[firebrand]

We already have painkillers that are more powerful than morphine. The thrill here seems to be that they come from snail toxins.

[firebrand]

Ever wonder why all the French restaurants on Ninth Avenue disappeared?

[Berlin_Freeper]

I had two teeth pulled Friday, right across the street from Coca-Cola Headquarters. I am a little reluctant to return today but the woman dentist and her female assistant are sweet babes.

That's how I deal with it.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Coca Cola Headquarter Berlin construction time lapse

[Secret Agent Man]

or the scientist who kept pulling the legs off frogs and yelled “hop”, only to conclude when all the legs are pulled off a frog, the frog goes deaf.