A non-cytotoxic protein conjugate for inhibition or reduction of exocytic fusion in a nociceptive sensory afferent cell, comprising: (i) a Targeting Moiety (TM), wherein said TM is an agonist of a receptor present on said nociceptive sensory efferent 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 fragment thereof, wherein the protease or protease fragment is capable of cleaving 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. Nucleic acid sequences encoding the protein conjugates, methods of preparing same and uses thereof are also described.
