The potent venom of a predatory sea snail could transform the treatment of diabetes, a study has suggested.
Cone snails are found in tropical waters around the world. Larger species, such as Conus geographus, which can be six inches long, release plumes of venom containing a fast-acting insulin. This causes nearby fish to experience huge falls in blood sugar, temporarily paralysing them. The snail fires a harpoon-like tooth into its prey, then pulls it into its shell to be ingested whole.
Now scientists are repurposing the toxin to help people with type 1 diabetes better manage their blood sugar.
Insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, helps the body to use glucose for energy, but those with type 1 diabetes cannot produce it. Mike