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3.5 Current Applications of Venom
summary
- Venom has a long history of being used for natural product drug development and therapeutics. For example, there is evidence that venom was added into medicine to treat smallpox, leprosy, fever, and wounds in the Roman Empire.
- There are several breakthrough drugs derived from venom toxins.
- Ziconotide, which comes from cone snails, is used to treat chronic pain in patients with HIV and cancer by stopping or stunting pain signals. It does not work on opioid receptors, making it non-addictive.
- Captopril is derived from the Brazilian pit viper and acts as an ACE (Angiotensin-converting-enzyme) inhibitor; thus it’s used as a treatment for high blood pressure. This drug has led to the development of an entire class of drugs: ACE inhibitors.
- Eptifibatide is derived from the southeastern pygmy rattlesnake and prevents heart attacks.
- Exenatide, which comes from the gila monster, lowers blood sugar.
- In Professor Holford’s lab, researchers:
- Study the phylogenetic history of how venom evolved in cone snails.
- Translate that genetic information to understand how expressed genes bring about venom novelty.
- Look at how venom peptides work and what their particular molecular targets are.
- Determine if these peptides can be used for medicinal purposes.
- The ecology of how an animal uses its venom can help predict the kind of drug it may be used for.
- For example, the gila monster is a binge eater. When it’s not eating, it shuts down its pancreas to stop insulin production. Then, when the gila monster eats again, it produces a compound in its saliva that helps it lower its blood sugar.
- Researchers can now study venom by looking at organoids, mini organs.
- Organoids are grown from stem cells in a lab. The stem cells differentiate into different cell types and eventually grow to become mini organs.
- Organoids are used to study disease models, drug efficacy, drug safety, and much more.
- Venom peptides are being used to treat cancer as a channelopathy. Venom peptides’ precision in what they target renders them an effective method to target tumor cells.
- Conserving ecosystems is an important aspect of preserving the biodiversity of venomous species.
- Venomous species are ubiquitous: they can be found on land, in the sea, and in the air.
- When venomous species’ habitats are threatened, so are the species, thus reducing the places we can look to find new treatments for human diseases and disorders.
- Many different venomous species are understudied and have untapped potential for drug discovery.