Venom is a secretion produced by specific animals, which is synthesized in the specialized cells of their body. Animal venoms constitute a plethora of bioactive molecules with high affinity for diversified targets in cells.
Despite their tremendous toxicity, animals’ venoms
Venom is a secretion produced by specific animals, which is synthesized in the specialized cells of their body. Animal venoms constitute a plethora of bioactive molecules with high affinity for diversified targets in cells.
Despite their tremendous toxicity, animals’ venoms can be used to investigate physiological mechanisms and represent auspicious components for drug development. As a matter of fact, the bioactive components of venoms have been investigated as a colossal source of important therapeutic agents. Interestingly, tremendous variation and molecular diversity of distinct groups of venoms have opened up whole new avenues for future therapeutic microbiology.
According to the recent Global Cancer Statistics, there are approximately 32.6 million cancer patients globally, representing it as one of the primary causes of mortality in the world. Among discrete anticancer agents in targeted therapies, animal venoms have created tremendous interest when designing new effectual anticancer drugs. Venoms extracted from snakes of families Viperidae, Elapidae, Atractaspididae, and Colubridae are known to exhibit an anticancer trait. Venoms of these families contain Bradykinin-potentiating peptides, L-amino acid oxidases, Cysteine-rich secretory proteins, Phospholipase A2, Phosphodiesterases, Acetylcholinesterases, Metalloproteinases, Three-finger toxins, Arginine esterases, C-type lectins, Disintegrins, Myotoxins, Hyaluronidases, Serine proteases, Sarafotoxins, and Prothrombin activators.
Wasp venoms showed anticancer activity against diverse cell lines with a varied mode of actions. Polybia MP1 isolated from Polybia paulista showed anticancer activity against prostate and bladder cancer cells through diversified modes of actions such as depolarization, irreversible cytolysis, inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, and memb