Use of Toxins in Biotechnology

Kalapothakis, E.(1), Almeida, A.P.(2), Chaves-Olórtegui, C.(3), Ribeiro, B.M.(4), Cruz, I.(5), Mangili, O.C.(6), Gomez M.V.(1)

Departamentos de (1)Farmacologia; (2)Fisiologia; (3)Bioquímica e Imunologia, UFMG, MG, Brazil; (4)Departamento de Biologia Celular, UnB, DF, Brazil; (5)Embrapa Milho e Sorgo de Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil; (6)Departamento de Fisiologia, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, UFPR, MG, Brazil.

Venom from spiders and scorpions,represents a source of natural peptides which could have pharmacological potential similar to traditional sources, particularly in the development of drugs targeted to specific receptors, ion channels or the release of neurotransmitters. Our group has generated, systematically, knowledge about the mode of action of neurotoxins from the spiders Phoneutria nigriventer and Loxosceles intermedia and also from the scorpions Tityus serrulatus and Tityusbahiesis. The research lines of 3 projects, deal with important problems and are innovative in that they utilize peptide neurotoxins in the areas of medicine and agriculture. The first of these projects involves the use of neurotoxins in the treatment of cerebral ischemia, different types of pain (such as neurogenic, neuropathalogicand inflammatory pain), as well as in cardiac arrhythmias. The second idea developed involves the use of neurotoxins in agriculture, with the development of biological agents to control economically important pests at low cost and with a low impact on the environment when compared to conventional (chemical) insecticides. The third and last point is related to the use of recombinant toxins in the production of antiserum and vaccines to protect against the venom of the brown spider Loxosceles intermedia and Tityus serrulatus scorpion, which continues to cause serious social and economic problems in Brazil.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

Kalapothakis, E., Departamentos de Farmacologia, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, 30000-000, MG, Brazil., Email: ekalapo@icb.ufmg.br