Patent ID: 8603779

Claim:
A non-cytotoxic protein conjugate for inhibition or reduction of exocytic fusion in a nociceptive sensory afferent cell, comprising: (i) a galanin Targeting Moiety (TM), wherein said TM is an agonist of a receptor present on said nociceptive sensory afferent cell, and wherein said receptor undergoes endocytosis to be incorporated into an endosome within the nociceptive sensory afferent cell; (ii) a non-cytotoxic protease or a protease fragment thereof, wherein the protease or protease fragment cleaves a protein of the exocytic fusion apparatus of said nociceptive sensory afferent cell; and (iii) a Translocation Domain, wherein the Translocation Domain translocates the protease or protease fragment from within the endosome, across the endosomal membrane, and into the cytosol of the nociceptive sensory afferent cell.