NWO-XS: The bite of relief: exploring the use of snake venom for pain treatment

Millions of people worldwide struggle with chronic pain. Current medications work by trying to block certain pain nerves. Unfortunately, these medications often do not work well enough, can cause unwanted side effects because they affect other nerve cells and some are highly addictive. Therefore, we need better pain treatments. Interestingly, certain animal toxins (like snake venoms) can target specific nerve cells with great precision. This project explores whether these toxins can be used to reduce pain by calming pain nerves without interfering with other nerve functions. This could lead to safer, more effective pain relief with fewer side effects.