Snake venom

Snake venom is a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, and other molecules produced by the venom glands of snakes. It serves primarily for prey immobilization, predigestion, and defense, acting via diverse mechanisms such as neurotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and hemostatic disruption. Snake venoms have been extensively studied for their biomedical potential, yielding drugs for hypertension, thromboembolic disorders, acute coronary syndromes, and chronic pain, among others. Key therapeutic challenges include compositional variability, difficulty of standardization, and inherent toxicity. While the whole venom is not a target, many individual toxin components have been successfully developed into life-saving therapeutics[1][2][3][7].

Other names

Snake venomsOphidian venomVenomous snake secretion

Enzyme (ACE) inhibition (e.g., captopril) - Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonism (e.g., tirofiban, eptifibatide) - Defibrinogenation (e.g., ancrod, batroxobin) - Direct thrombin inhibition - Modulation of immune response - Inhibition of platelet aggregation - Cytolysis and apoptosis induction in cancer cells[1][7]