From A Sea Snail, Scientists Hope To Develop An Alternative Painkiller To Morphine

The poison consists of a particular substance which can block out pain in mice for an even longer time than morphine, a new study has found.

Representative image of sea snail | Getty

New Delhi: Scientists have found a sea snail living in the Pacific Ocean off the Philippines which may be able to help them develop an alternative to painkillers like morphine.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, was recently published in the journal Science Advances.

Bea Ramiro, a researcher who recently returned to the Philippines after completing her studies in the US, started studying the sea snail species Conus rolani by chance. She was collecting material in the waters off the Philippine island of Cebu in 2018, a statement issued by the University of Copenhagen said.

Researchers knew at that time that the poison from the sea snail species Conus magus could be used as a painkiller, and can replace morphine and opioids. Also, some patients experience fewer side effects. 

However, Ramiro hoped to find an alternative which had an even better effect. She collected enough snails of the species Conus rolani to do a proper study. 

It is a large, white and brown snail and is six to seven centimetres long.

How The Poison From Conus rolani Can Function As A Painkiller

According to the new study, the poison from Conus rolani can function as a painkiller.  

The poison consists of a particular substance which can block out pain in mice for an even longer time than morphine, the study found.

In a statement issued by the University of Copenhagen, Helena Safavi, a researcher who headed the study, said that the scientists have discovered a so-called toxin that blocks out pain in a completely different way than well-known drugs like morphine, and that hopefully, the toxin will enable them to avoid the most damaging effects of morphine on humans.

A medicine based on the sea snail Conus magus, used to treat back injuries and cancer, is already available in the market.

However, the disadvantages of this medicine are that it is expensive and difficult to work with because it has to be injected into the central nervous system.

Though the drug has fewer side effects than morphine and opioids, it is not ideal due to the price and circumstances.

Therefore, the scientists hope that the discovery of the poison from Conus rolani can help them develop a more efficient painkiller.

Quoting Safavi, the statement said that a better alternative is required for people who are in great pain. It should be an alternative which is more effective than morphine and opioids. 

Conus rolani, which lives at a depth of 210 metres in the waters off Cebu in the Philippines, is a clever hunter, according to Safavi.

The snail waits patiently once it has harpooned its victim with poison. Three hours later, the poison shows its effect, making the victim apathetic. This is when the snail catches its prey with its toothless mouth.

Is Conus rolani’s Toxin More Effective Than Morphine?

According to the study, the researchers had earlier collected the sea snails in the Philippines and had observed their unique hunting strategy in an aquarium. The researchers obtained the poison and separated the various components to determine which had interesting effects on mice.

They found more than 100 toxins, and produced synthetic toxins for them. 

One of the toxins showed potential, and the scientists X-rayed it.

Safavi said that the structure of the toxin from the sea snail's poison resembled somatostatin, which is a hormone found in the human body regulating the sensation of pain. She explained that this suggested that the toxin might have a similar regulating effect.

When the researchers tested the toxin on mice, they observed that it was just as efficient a painkiller as morphine, and had a more long-lasting effect.

Safavi said that the toxin being effective and lasting longer than morphine reveals its "great potential future."