K-Hed: Snail Venom May Cure Pain

(AP) University of Utah researchers have harvested a substance from the venom of the cone snail that may one day treat human pain. The substance extracted from the venom has successfully alleviated pain in terminally ill cancer patients, and may help pain associated with nerve damage caused by diabetes or traumatic injury. Unlike other painkillers, the substance suppresses inflammation by attaching itself to a nerve receptor which had previously been thought to be unrelated to pain. Though promising, commercial use of this substance is still ten years away.

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