Structural modification of conus-derived venom peptides- A route to new therapeutics

This proposal aims to produce new, highly effective, safe, non-addictive analgesics. It is estimated that >1% of the western world's population suffer from neuropathic pain, a form of chronic pain. There is therefore a high demand for effective analgesia to treat this form of pain and to date there are very few drugs that can provide long term, effective relief. Natural peptides extracted from marine coneshells show promise in this area but possess chemical features that disadvantage their unmodified use as drugs. This proposal will examine ways to stabilise these chemical structures and enhance their effectiveness. We will synthesise several novel conotoxin analogues and test them in established pain models.