Animal toxins — Nature’s evolutionary-refined toolkit for basic research and drug discovery

Volker Herzig; Ben Cristofori-Armstrong; Mathilde R Israel; Samantha A Nixon; Irina Vetter; Glenn F King

doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114096

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Animal toxins — Nature’s evolutionary-refined toolkit for basic research and drug discovery

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Animal toxins — Nature’s evolutionary-refined toolkit for basic research and drug discovery

Volker Herzig, Ben Cristofori-Armstrong, Mathilde R Israel, Samantha A Nixon, Irina Vetter and Glenn F King

Biochemical Pharmacology, Vol.181, pp.1-14

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114096

PMCID: PMC7290223

PMID: 32535105

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Abstract

Pharmacological tools

Insecticides

Drug discovery

Venom peptides

Venom

Therapeutics

Venomous animals have evolved toxins that interfere with specific components of their victim’s core physiological systems, thereby causing biological dysfunction that aids in prey capture, defense against predators, or other roles such as intraspecific competition. Many animal lineages evolved venom systems independently, highlighting the success of this strategy. Over the course of evolution, toxins with exceptional specificity and high potency for their intended molecular targets have prevailed, making venoms an invaluable and almost inexhaustible source of bioactive molecules, some of which have found use as pharmacological tools, human therapeutics, and bioinsecticides. Current biomedically-focused research on venoms is directed towards their use in delineating the physiological role of toxin molecular targets such as ion channels and receptors, studying or treating human diseases, targeting vectors of human diseases, and treating microbial and parasitic infections. We provide examples of each of these areas of venom research, highlighting the potential that venom molecules hold for basic research and drug development.

Details

Title: Animal toxins — Nature’s evolutionary-refined toolkit for basic research and drug discovery
Authors: Volker Herzig (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Ben Cristofori-Armstrong (Author) - The University of Queensland
Mathilde R Israel (Author) - The University of Queensland
Samantha A Nixon (Author) - The University of Queensland
Irina Vetter (Author) - The University of Queensland
Glenn F King (Author) - The University of Queensland
Publication details: Biochemical Pharmacology, Vol.181, pp.1-14
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
Date published: 2020
DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114096
ISSN: 1873-2968
PMID: 32535105; PMC7290223
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99483607802621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Pharmacology & Pharmacy

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