title: Therapeutic potential of venom peptides.
abstract: Venomous animals have evolved a vast array of peptide toxins for prey capture and defence. These peptides are directed against a wide variety of pharmacological targets, making them an invaluable source of ligands for studying the properties of these targets in different experimental paradigms. A number of these peptides have been used in vivo for proof-of-concept studies, with several having undergone preclinical or clinical development for the treatment of pain, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Here we survey the pharmacology of venom peptides and assess their therapeutic prospects.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia. r.lewis@imb.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Maria L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014688:Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D009842:Oligopeptides; D014118:Toxins, Biological; D014688:Venoms