THERAPEUTIC AND/OR BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS FOR NATURAL TOXINS

MIRIAN A. F. HAYASHI(1)

(1)Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)

Venom is a rich source of biochemically active enzymes, proteins, peptides and low molecular weight substances. This vast array of toxins consists of a very sophisticated mechanism for prey capture for the venomous creatures. These substances target an immense number of receptors and membrane proteins with high affinity, selectivity and potency, and can serve as potential drugs or scaffolds for drug design. The pharmaceutical industry has recognized the enormous potential inherent in these venom peptides and has begun to exploit the selectivity and sensitivity fine tuned by evolution. In the last few years, our group has dedicated to the study and characterization of snake toxins with potential pharmaceutical and/or biotechnological applications. The employment of modern technology involving expertise of different scientific areas, such as molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, electrophysiology, mass spectrometry analysis, between others, allowed us to identify new targets and describe surprising molecular features for well-described toxins, namely, bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs), and crotamine, from Bothrops jararaca and Crotalus durissus terrificus, respectively. In conclusion, besides the mechanism of action of each toxin family being different, it seems that the nature has evolved the venoms into a huge pharmacological library of active compounds with high selectivity and affinity. So forth, the study of venom toxin and its mechanism of action can be a powerful scientific tool to the discovery of new physiological pathways and also of new therapeutic compounds.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: FAPESP (CAT-CEPID program).