Paralyzing Cone Snail Venom Could Inspire New Human Insulins

Venom that snails use to paralyze their prey before gobbling them up could inspire a new drug for diabetes. The venom that sea-dwelling cone snails squirt is an ultrafast-acting version of the hormone insulin, the molecular key that helps cells take in sugar from the blood and use it as fuel. "The venom insulin has to work quickly, so we could use those same principles to make a human insulin therapeutic, to use the same tricks that the snail uses to attack fish," said study co-author Mike Lawre