• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • WordPress
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Science Update

Science Update

Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS

  • Spotlights
  • Reality Check
  • Why Is It?
  • Radio Archives
  • Sciup @ School
Home » Radio Archive » Daily Show » Pain-Killing Snails

Pain-Killing Snails

September 28, 2010
https://podcast.scienceupdate.com/100928_sciup_cone.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window

BOB HIRSHON (host):
Pain-relieving snail spit…I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Cone snails catch fish by injecting them with a powerful venom found in their saliva. Now scientists in Australia have developed a pain-blocking peptide from the venom that can be given orally. Peptides are small proteins, and University of Queensland chemist David Craik says the main hurdle was keeping the peptide from being digested. Since digestive enzymes target the ends of a peptide strand, Craik’s team fused the snail peptide’s ends together.

DAVID CRAIK (University of Queensland, Australia):
And if you join the ends in a peptide bond, then essentially you completely remove those termini, and so then you’ve got a peptide that’s impervious to a major class of enzymes.

HIRSHON:
When given to rats in pain, the altered peptide worked as well as the top prescription painkiller, gabapentin, but at only 1% the dose. The researchers hope to apply for human trials soon. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.

Category: Daily ShowTag: Animal Behavior, Brain Science, Chemistry, Marine Science, Medicine & Health
Previous Post:2010 Flu Vaccine
Next Post:MicrowavesOpen microwave oven with metal parts inside

Sidebar

Radio Program Archives

Want to learn more about the brain? The environment? Here you can browse the topics that come up regularly on Science Update.

Search the Archives

Categories

  • Daily Show
  • Station Download
  • Weekly Show

Find By Tag

  • 2020
  • Acoustics & Sound
  • Aging
  • Animal Behavior
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Astronomy & Space
  • Biology
  • Brain Science
  • Bugs
  • Cat Video
  • Chemistry
  • Children & Families
  • cicadas
  • Climate & Weather
  • Communications
  • Computer Science
  • Economics & Business
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Environment & Conservation
  • Genetics & Evolution
  • Geology
  • Marine Science
  • Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine & Health
  • Microbiology
  • Nanotechnology
  • NASA
  • Nutrition & Food Science
  • Paleontology & Dinosaurs
  • Physics
  • Plants & Agriculture
  • Political Science
  • Reality Check
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports & Fitness
  • spotlight
  • Spotlight Bugs
  • Terrorism & War
  • Why Is It? Questions
  • Wildlife
  • Year in Review

Find By Date

Science Update
  • About Science Update
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Image of computer screen depicting an orange cat with a variety of alphanumeric scientific data superimposed on the the screen.
Spotted skunk performing handstand to threaten predators

Copyright © 2025 · Springtail Media LLC · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Pongos