The cobras that produce the toxin live in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.

[citation needed] α-Cobratoxin forms three hairpin type loops with its polypeptide chain.

[3] α-Cobratoxin binds antagonistically and slowly reversible to muscle-type and neuronal type nAChRs.

This bond will block the receptor's ability to bind acetylcholine and thereby inhibits the ion flow through the postsynaptic membrane, which will lead to paralysation.

When acetylcholine binds to the receptor it remains in the open conformation for a longer period which is sufficient to cause the ion-flux.

Necrosis is a very severe result of the snake bite, and can keep harming the victim for years after the attack.

The moment when the neurotoxin begins affecting the body can vary from minutes to a few hours after the bite.

The first real symptoms of paralysis will be palpebral ptosis (drooping of the eyelids) and external ophthalmoplegia, which is also an eye movement disorder.

[9] The Naja Kaouthia venom is a member of the snake three-finger toxin family in the subfamily type II alpha-neurotoxin.

The toxin occurs as a monomer but can form a homodimer or heterodimers with cytotoxins 1,2, and 3 through disulfide linkage.

The monomeric form can bind with high affinity to muscular, Torpedo, and neuronal alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR).

Two residues, critical for binding to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, were substituted (Asp27 to Arg and Arg33 to Gly).This created protein has the same 3D-structure as the original toxin but leads also to protective immunity.

Because of these promising results, the creation of a global health program must be considered which can save people who are at risk of a snakebite.

From an investigation it was found that rediocides can prolong the survival time of mice infected by cobratoxin.

The results showed that cobratoxin exhibited a dose-dependent pain-killing effect on this formalin induced pain.

Apparently, when the nAChr receptors in the central nervous system gets activated it provokes anti-nociceptive effects .

[13] Multiple sclerosis, briefly MS, is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS).

These properties make it a suitable candidate for a study in subjects with MS and contribute to the disease process.

[citation needed] In 2009 promising results showed that the acetylcholine receptor plays an import role in developing lung cancer.

Cobratoxin was at one time thought to block the acetylcholine receptor because of the high affinity;[15] however, in 2011 this theory has been disproven and the original article was retracted for fabrication of results.