Organisms that host Tetrodotoxin and researches related to its medicinal use

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a highly important animal toxin found in pufferfish, mollusks, arthropods, flatworms and amphibians. Although the toxin is related to several cases of food poisoning in humans, recent search demonstrated that TTX has a potent specific action in the blockage of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). The aims of current research is demonstrates that TTX is efficient in therapies related to the nervous, circulatory and motor systems, besides those against cancer. TTX-producing organisms, its mechanism and studies on the therapeutic use of the toxin in medicine are provided. Further studies may reveal other therapeutic uses of TTX related to voltage-gated sodium channels due to its efficiency and specificity in the blockage of these channels.