Cone snail venom-inspired somatostatin receptor 4 (SSTR₄) agonists as new drug leads for peripheral pain.

ABSTRACT: Persistent pain affects one in five people worldwide, often with severely debilitating consequences. While current treatments can be effective for mild or acute pain, they are largely inadequate for managing moderate to severe chronic pain, underscoring the urgent need for new therapeutics. The somatostatin receptor 4 (SSTR₄), expressed in sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system, has recently emerged as a promising target for non-opioid pain relief. However, the presence of several closely related receptors with similar ligand-binding surfaces complicates the design of receptor-specific agonists. Here, we report the discovery of consomatin Fj1, a potent and selective SSTR₄-targeting peptide derived from the venom gene repertoire of marine cone snails. Consoma

SUBMITTER: Bjorn-Yoshimoto WE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12663243 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature