Neuroprotective and cardioprotective conopeptides: an emerging class of drug leads

Abstract

The peptides in the venoms of predatory marine snails belonging to the genus Conus ('cone snails') have well-established therapeutic applications for the treatment of pain and epilepsy. This review discusses the neuroprotective and cardioprotective potential of four families of Conus peptides (conopeptides), including omega-conotoxins that target voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, conantokins that target NMDA receptors, mu-conotoxins that target voltage-gated Na+ channels, and kappa- and kappaM-conotoxins that target K+ channels. The diversity of Conus peptides that have already been shown to exhibit neuroprotective/cardioprotective activity suggests that marine snail venoms are a potentially rich source of drug leads with diverse mechanisms.

Figure 1. Diversity of cone shells and families of conopeptides with neuroprotective/cardioprotective properties

A The shells of three species of Conus snail (left to right: Conus magus, Conus imperialis, Conus geographus). B Conus peptide families that have been shown to exhibit neuroprotective/cardioprotective potential, and the ion channel targets in the nervous system of each peptide family.

Figure 2. Structural diversity of neuroprotective conopeptides that have entered clinical trials