A new study from the University of Utah may have found some big benefits in a little package. The venom from an ocean snail found in the Philippines may have medical benefits for people with depression, Parkinson’s disease, and certain addictions.
Take smoking, for example. Smoking releases a chemical in the brain called dopamine; dopamine is used as a reward signal in your brain. If you wanted to quit smoking, this particular snail venom (or a synthetic version) helps fit into receptors in the brain that receive dopamine. You wouldn’t need the nicotine to release the dopamine if the receptors are already filled by the venom or synthetic venom.
Researchers studying the snail venom found that it can help block receptors in other addictions. Think of it this way: the receptors in your brain are satisfied or filled by the synthetic snail venom instead of by the destructive behavior like drinking or smoking.
But that’s not all! The snail venom may also be useful in treating certain neurological disorders. In the same way the synthetic snail venom can fit dopamine receptors, it can also fill serotonin and norepineprhine receptors. If the receptors are blocked, the chemicals can stay in circulation in the brain. For people suffering from depression or other mood disorders, that can make a big difference.
The study was inspired by a cone-snail researcher by the name of Baldomero Olivera, who had a fascination with snails going back to his childhood in the Philippines. The lead researcher on the study, J. Michael McIntosh, has also worked with snail venoms; his undergraduate work led to the development of venom-based medicine Prialt, which is used to treat severe pain.
Ocean snails use a variety of chemicals to hunt and kill other organisms. The different venoms may offer tens of thousands of useful compounds to medicine and science. But don’t expect to see your doctor prescribing synthetic snail venom any time soon; researchers believe it may take as long as twenty years to see medicine based on this research.