Most of us live blissfully unaware of the orchestrated function that our internal organs
conduct. When this peace is interrupted, it is often by routine sensations of hunger and urge …

Venomous animals have evolved toxins that interfere with specific components of their
victim's core physiological systems, thereby causing biological dysfunction that aids in prey …

Gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort is a hallmark of most gut disorders and represents an
important component of chronic visceral pain. For the growing population afflicted by irritable …

Ion channels play fundamental roles in both excitable and non-excitable tissues and
therefore constitute attractive drug targets for myriad neurological, cardiovascular and …

Despite their seemingly elementary roles, the colon and rectum undertake a variety of key
processes to ensure our overall wellbeing. Such processes are coordinated by the …

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that was first identified in pufferfish but has since
been isolated from an array of taxa that host TTX-producing bacteria. However, determining …

Itch induces scratching that removes irritants from the skin, whereas pain initiates withdrawal
or avoidance of tissue damage. While pain arises from both the skin and viscera, we …

The voltage-gated sodium channel (Na V), Na V 1.1, is well-studied in the central nervous
system; conversely, its contribution to peripheral sensory neuron function is more enigmatic …

Chronic pain is a serious debilitating condition that affects; 20% of the world's population.
Currently available drugs fail to produce effective pain relief in many patients and have dose …

Spider venom-derived cysteine knot peptides are a mega-diverse class of molecules that
exhibit unique pharmacological properties to modulate key membrane protein targets …