From ancient civilizations, when poisons were used as weapons of war, to the times of medieval alchemists exploring their mystical properties, poisons have accompanied man on a journey of discovery and danger.
Recently, attention has shifted to the field of biomedicine, where discoveries are being made that highlight nature’s incredible ability to offer solutions to complex medical problems such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Animal toxins with therapeutic properties
Toxins from snakes, octopuses, snails, insects, sea anemones… the diversity of molecules present in venoms is astounding, which has allowed drugs derived from these compounds to appear on the market.
One of the most striking examples is the drug captopril. Derived from snake venom Bothrops jararacais used to treat high blood pressure. The drug revolutionized cardiology in the 1980s with its ability to block the action of a key blood pressure-control enzyme, making it one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world. It is also used to treat heart failure and kidney complications associated with diabetes.
Another case in point is Prialt, the trade name for ziconotide, a drug derived from the venom of a sea snail. Cone-mag and is used to relieve severe neuropathic pain. Its mechanism of action is to selectively block calcium channels in neurons, which provides effective relief in patients suffering from chronic pain that is resistant to other treatments.
We might also mention here two anticoagulants: eptifibatide, derived from a protein found in rattlesnake venom. Sistrurus miliarus barburyand tirofiban, a molecule derived from viper venom. Echis carinatus. Or exenatide, a therapeutic compound for patients with type 2 diabetes isolated from lizard saliva. Suspected Helodermaknown as the Gila monster.
Allies in Cancer Research
Cancer is a complex disease and one of the most serious problems of modern medicine, since it can manifest itself in a variety of forms and types, each of which has its own characteristics.
This diversity highlights the urgent need to find new therapeutic alternatives, which is also due to the limited effectiveness and side effects of standard treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Animal venoms are made up of a complex mixture of proteins and peptides, molecules made up of chains of amino acids of varying sizes. Some of these molecules have the ability to interfere with certain cellular processes, such as the uncontrolled division that characterizes cancer.
Such substances have become a promising source of innovative treatments that can combat various forms of cancer using specific and targeted approaches.
Currently, various peptides derived from venoms are being investigated for their anti-cancer properties, some in basic research and others in more advanced preclinical stages. For example, the peptide melittin is the main active component of apitox, a bee venom (Apis mellifera), and demonstrated antitumor effects on several types of cancer cells, including cells of the nervous and respiratory systems.
And thanks to the peptide chlorotoxin from scorpion venom. Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeusA fluorescent agent has been created that selectively detects malignant tissue and is used in real time during surgical resection of tumors, such as in operations for brain or breast cancer.
Two more types of peptides are also currently being investigated for their potential against the most common type of melanoma: one known as Octpep-1, which comes from the Australian octopus. Octopus Kaurnaand others, called homesins, found in the venom of various species of spiders.
Ingredients in cosmetic products
But the use of toxins is not limited to the medical field: the cosmetics industry has also found them a source of innovation.
Bee venom, mentioned earlier, stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, which helps improve the firmness and elasticity of the skin. For this reason, it has become a key ingredient in many anti-aging products.
Although the most famous example of a toxin used in the cosmetic world is Botox, a shortened form of “botulinum toxin,” a neurotoxin produced by bacteria. Clostridium botulinumIt is the same compound that causes a type of food poisoning called botulism, but in optimal amounts it can be used in dermatology due to its ability to inhibit superficial muscle contractions.
Huge potential
The history of animal venoms and their use in medicine is a powerful reminder of the enormous potential hidden in nature. Will we find the next cure for cancer in the Mariana Trench? Or perhaps a new treatment for Alzheimer’s in the Namibian desert? From the time of Paracelsus to modern venomics research, we have learned that toxins, when used specifically and in specific concentration ranges, are tools with great therapeutic effectiveness.
On this path to knowledge, it is important to remember that the most valuable answers often come from the most unexpected corners. So do not be afraid of toxins, because, as they say, “poison in doses.”
This article was a finalist in the IV Youth Outreach Competition organised by the Lilly Foundation and The Conversation Spain.