ABSTRACT
Reptile venoms, complex mixtures of peptide and protein toxins with resilient molecular scaffolds, have evolved over millions of years to incapacitate and kill prey and predators in minutes. Toxins aim at critical physiological systems, such as nerve signaling, hemostasis and blood circulation. These systems are disabled by targeting ion channels, cell surface receptors and enzymatic pathways – the very same molecules that are often validated as pharmaceutical targets to treat or diagnose a wide spectrum of diseases. Today, approximately 15 therapeutic agents are derived from reptile toxins for a diverse range of diseases, such as heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure and diabetes. Toxin-derived drugs include first-in-class, top-selling and life-saving medications and overall, are taken by tens of millions of patients globally. With inter- and intraspecific variation in toxins, it is estimated that about 50,000–100,000 reptile venom toxins remain unexplored in nature. While this is a small proportion of the global animal venom toxin arsenal – an estimated 20 million toxins in 220,000 venomous animal species – the knowledge, methodology and success established by reptile toxin research have often set the stage to explore toxins from other taxa. With their inherent chemistry, pharmacology and global diversity, reptile and other animal venom toxins present a valuable and unparalleled source for the development of novel agents for therapy, clinical diagnosis, bioengineering and basic research.
