I came across an article recently about the potency and use of snails in medicine, and then spotted a Daily Mail article reporting how snails could hold the answer to pain relief. You can read the article here.
New research is suggesting that one type of snail, theĀ Conus Regius, disables pray using a type of protein. The Rg1A could, in theory, be used on humans to have an effect of minimising chronic pain. Not only that, but the protein uses different pathways in the brain. Trials by the University of Utah using the protein on mice (poor little guys) claim this is hugely exciting not just because it could help sufferers, but because it could potentially prevent pain in the first instance.
Not sure how I’d feel being injected with a protein pooped out by a snail that’s usually used to kill its prey, but it’s interesting how snails, seemingly not particularly useful little things, are being hailed for use in skin creams at present and could hold a key toĀ learning more about chronic pain in the future.
