The present invention provides a method for designing a re-targeted toxinconjugate for use in treating a medical condition or disease. Also provided,is the use of said conjugates in the manufacture of a medicament for treatingmedical conditions or diseases. The conjugates include a Targeting Moiety,which directs the conjugate to a desired target cell, and are characterised bya Targeting Moiety that increases exocytic fusion in the target cell. Thepresent invention also provides methods for identifying agonists suitable foruse as Targeting Moieties, and methods for preparing conjugates comprisingsaid Targeting Moieties, to re-target a toxin to a cell of therapeuticinterest. In particular, the present invention describes a method fordesigning a toxin conjugate, and describes therapeutic applications of saidconjugates to inhibit or reduce cellular processes. Even more particularly,the present invention describes a method for designing toxin conjugates basedupon non- cytotoxic toxins able to inhibit exocytosis, such as clostridialneurotoxins, and describes therapeutic applications of said conjugates toinhibit or reduce exocytosis (for example secretion, or the delivery ofproteins such as receptors, transporters, and membrane channels to the plasmamembrane of a cell).
