Proteome analysis of snake venom toxins: pharmacological insights

Abstract

Snake venoms are an extremely rich source of pharmacologically active proteins with a considerable clinical and medical potential. To date, this potential has not been fully explored, mainly because of our incomplete knowledge of the venom proteome and the pharmacological properties of its components, in particular those devoid of enzymatic activity. This review summarizes the latest achievements in the determination of snake venom proteome, based primarily on the development of new strategies and techniques. Detailed knowledge of the venom toxin composition and biological properties of the protein constituents should provide the scaffold for the design of new more effective drugs for the treatment of the hemostatic system and heart disorders, inflammation, cancer and consequences of snake bites, as well as new tools for clinical diagnostic and assays of hemostatic parameters.

Keywords::

• pharmacological activity
• proteomics
• snake venom
• toxin
• venom protein family

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (project BE 1443–18–1) and the Bulgarian National Foundation for Scientific Research (project TK-B 1610/06). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.