ReviewInsulin as a weapon

- The use of insulin for nefarious purposes is reviewed.
- An overview of the discovery of specialized venom insulins used for prey capture by marine cone snails is provided.
- Venom insulins are found in many cone snail species and may also be discovered in other venomous animals in the future.
- The venom insulin Con-Ins G1 from Conus geogrpahus provides unique insights into the design of novel diabetes therapeutics.

The discovery of insulin and its use for the treatment of diabetes is undoubtedly one of the true successes of modern medicine. Injectable insulin would prove the first effective treatment for a previously incurable and usually fatal disease. Soon after however, the powerful effects of insulin overdose would be reported, and subsequently exploited for dubious medical and sometimes nefarious purposes. In this article we describe the discovery that certain venomous marine snails of the genus Conus also exploit the powerful effects of insulin overdose, employing it as a weapon for prey capture.