Spider-Venom Peptides as Therapeutics

Toxins

Natalie J. Saez¹  Sebastian Senff¹  Jonas E. Jensen¹  Sing Yan Er¹  Volker Herzig¹  Lachlan D. Rash¹ 

[1] Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia;

关键词: spider venom;    peptide;    therapeutics;    drugs;    drug discovery;    cystine knot;   

DOI  :  10.3390/toxins2122851

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Spiders are the most successful venomous animals and the most abundant terrestrial predators. Their remarkable success is due in large part to their ingenious exploitation of silk and the evolution of pharmacologically complex venoms that ensure rapid subjugation of prey. Most spider venoms are dominated by disulfide-rich peptides that typically have high affinity and specificity for particular subtypes of ion channels and receptors. Spider venoms are conservatively predicted to contain more than 10 million bioactive peptides, making them a valuable resource for drug discovery. Here we review the structure and pharmacology of spider-venom peptides that are being used as leads for the development of therapeutics against a wide range of pathophysiological conditions including cardiovascular disorders, chronic pain, inflammation, and erectile dysfunction.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2010 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland