Snail Venom as An Alternative to Opioid Pain Killers

An aquatic snail from the Caribbean Sea could hold the secret to a new type of pain killer in its venom. Dr. Michael McIntosh, a scientist at University of Utah Health, is working to isolate pain-killing compounds that could serve as a non-addictive replacement for opioids. In this episode, Dr. McIntosh talks about what his early research has found, how these venoms work and the major changes it could make in the way doctors treat pain.