药物开发的新领域——芋螺毒素

Conotoxins——A New Developing Approach for Drug Research

生物毒素是很有价值的药物或药物导向化合物 ,芋螺毒素是生物毒素中迅速发展的新领域 ,由于芋螺毒素的高丰度、化学多样性、强专一性作用等突出特点成为创新药物发展的宝库 ,芋螺毒素可以区分、识别许多离子通道与神经受体的不同亚型或异型结构体 ,广泛地应用于生命科学研究 ,芋螺毒素作为镇疼药物、抗癫痫药物已进入临床研究。

Natural toxins are biogenic chemical substances with meaningful value for new drugs and new leads of drug. Among natural toxins, the researches in conotoxins develop rapidly in recent decades. For its high-abundance,chemical diversity and high-specific activity,the conotoxins develop into a valuable pool in new drug investigation.Conotoxins have ability to recognize and discriminate subtypes of many ion channels and receptors,so it is useful as tool in neuroscience extensively.Some of the disease currently under investigation in clinical development for treatment by conotoxins include chronic pain and epilepsy.