Cone snail toxins to be used in mental health drug research project

The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation has given $280,000 to researchers to advance medical treatment and services in the region, including using a deadly sea creature’s venom to treat mental health issues.

James Cook University PHD student Yoshimi Peck has been award a $10,000 grant from the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation to further her research into the medicinal properties of peptides found in cone shell venom. Picture: Brendan Radke

Research into using a deadly sea creature’s venom to combat mental health issues will be boosted through the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation’s donation of $280,000 to advance medical treatment and services in the region.

Foundation research and education committee chair, Professor John McBride, said grants ranged from a focus on diabetes to rheumatic heart disease and extracting molecules from bush foods.

“Our aim with these grants is that they are used as ‘seed funding’ and hopefully the projects may then be picked up by larger grant bodies once the researchers have proven there is scope for development,” Prof McBride said.

James Cook University PHD student Yoshimi Peck has been award a $10,000 grant from the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation to further her research into the medicinal properties of peptides found in cone shell venom. Picture: Brendan Radke

One of the projects, led by James Cook University PhD student Yoshimi Peck who received a $10,000 grant, will focus on a new generation of peptide therapeutic psychiatric drugs designed from conotoxins found in Coral Sea cone snails, Conus geographus, whose venom can be fatal to humans.

“Venom is bad, but there are 300 (chemical) compounds in (a cone snail), and if you extract them one by one, and look into their function, some (chemical compounds) are useful for painkillers,” Ms Peck said.

The PhD student and her team have been milking Coral Sea cone snails for four years to study the chemical structure of their venom.

“It’s interesting because it depends on the season. Even the same individual gives us different types of molecules and a different individual in the same species gives you different ‘cocktails’,” she said.

James Cook University PHD student Yoshimi Peck has been award a $10,000 grant from the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation to further her research into the medicinal properties of peptides found in cone shell venom. The cone shell is fed a piece of fish after the venom has been extracted. Picture: Brendan Radke

“This particular molecule I’m interested in is working on the receptor which is related to depression and drug addictions and psychiatric conditions.”

Ms Peck’s project focus is on designing a drug using a natural product found in the venom of local cone snails to block the 5HT3 receptor, one of the key drug targets for psychiatric conditions, including depression and addictions.

She said it was important to diversify medication related to mental health disorders.

“Some medication works for some and not for others, so we need a new approach for depression treatment, and so this cone snail molecule works on different receptors to the currently available medicine,” she said.

“It’s kind of everyone’s problem these days with depression and stuff like that.

“I think North Queensland and the Indigenous community have a lack of resources, and there’s not many counsellors, but if some medication can help, that will improve the situation I hope.”

Originally published as Cone snail toxins to be used in mental health drug research project