A team of international researchers, led by experts at the University of Utah, has discovered that a compound in snail venom could play a key role in managing diabetes. Their findings, recently published in Nature Communications, show that this venom compound mimics a human peptide hormone called somatostatin, which is essential for controlling blood sugar levels and various hormone functions.
Helena Safavi, an associate professor of molecular biology at the University of Utah's Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine and the lead investigator of the study, pointed out that venomous animals have evolved over time to fine-tune their venom, targeting and disrupting specific biological pathways in their prey. By isolating a single bioactive molecule from the venom, researchers can study its effects on bodily processes, often finding connections to diseases.
This discovery is seen as a major breakthrough for pharmacologists.
In humans, somatostatin acts as a regulator, preventing blood sugar levels, hormone levels, and other important biomolecules from getting out of balance. The researchers found that the cone snail toxin, named consomatin, works similarly but is more stable and precise than the natural hormone. This makes it a promising candidate for developing new drugs.
The journal article calls this discovery a "remarkable example of molecular mimicry."
Venomous creatures have developed various biochemical methods to disable their prey and defend against predators, as explained in the article. Most venom components disrupt the nervous system, movement, and cardiovascular functions, or cause tissue damage. The finding that certain cone snails, which hunt fish, use insulin-like venom to cause low blood sugar in their prey is a unique example of toxins affecting glucose regulation—a vital process that keeps blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
Geography cone snails, known for being deadly hunters of fish, have more than just insulin in their venom arsenal. They also produce a highly selective somatostatin receptor 2 agonist, which blocks the release of glucagon—the hormone that counteracts insulin. This action further lowers blood sugar levels in their prey, intensifying the hypoglycemia (a condition where blood sugar drops below normal levels) induced by the snail’s insulin-like toxin.
"We believe that the cone snail evolved this very specific toxin to work in tandem with its insulin-like toxin, driving the prey's blood glucose down to dangerously low levels," explained Ho Yan Yeung, a postdoctoral researcher in biochemistry and the study's lead author.
The fact that multiple components of the cone snail’s venom target blood sugar regulation suggests that there may be other molecules within the venom that have similar effects.
"There could be other toxins in the venom with glucose-regulating properties as well," Yeung added.
Cone snails, including the geography cone snail, are found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, with most species located in the Indo-Pacific region.
It seems these snails have outpaced human chemists in designing effective drugs, but as Safavi points out, they have had the advantage of evolutionary time.
"We’ve been working on medicinal chemistry and drug development for only a few hundred years, and not always successfully," Safavi said. "Cone snails, on the other hand, have had much longer to perfect their methods."
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