Scientifically Speaking | The life-saving potential of deadly venoms
Few people see the upside of a venomous bite. What they may not know is that venom holds the key to many medical breakthroughs.
Toxins, poisons, and venoms have distinct meanings. Toxins are harmful substances naturally produced by living organisms. Poisons are toxins that cause harm when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed. Venoms, however, are specific toxins that are injected via bites or stings. (A good way to remember the difference is the saying, "If it bites you and you die, it's venomous. If you die when you bite it, it's poisonous.")
An exciting area of medicine today involves glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs used worldwide to treat diabetes and obesity. Few people know that these drugs were inspired by the venom of the Gila monster, a venomous lizard native to the arid landscapes of the southwestern United States. What sparked the interest of researchers is that the Gila monster eats only a few times a year, relying instead on a slow metabolism and the ability to store fat in its tail. These metabolic marvels help it survive in its harsh environment.
The Gila monster's unique adaptation to efficiently regulate glucose piqued scientific curiosity, leading researchers to discover a hormone in its venom that mimics GLP-1. The stability of this peptide, known as exendin-4, and its resistance to breaking down quickly made it an excellent candidate for treating Type 2 diabetes in people.
This discovery in the Gila monster led to the development of Byetta, a drug that effectively manages blood sugar levels and promotes weight loss (which is an additional challenge for those with diabetes). This breakthrough laid the foundation for later GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, which I’m sure readers of this column have read about before.
Moving on from lizards to snakes, we find other drug ideas. Venom injected during a snake bite unleashes a cocktail of chemicals into a person's body. Some of these chemicals lower blood pressure, interrupt nerve signals, or alter blood clotting.
The transformation of venom from a deadly threat to a drug showcases the potential of merging traditional knowledge with modern scientific inquiry. The field of "venomics," which involves studying venom's chemical components, is uncovering peptides, proteins, and enzymes that specifically target the nervous, cardiovascular, or muscular systems. These findings open new doors for drug development.
Overall, in-depth studies of more than 200 snake species have opened the prospect of using venom components in medicine. By understanding how their components interact with the body, researchers can design drugs to treat a variety of ailments.
Several innovative drugs have come from snake venom. Captopril, a drug that revolutionised treatment for hypertension and heart failure, was developed from the venom of the Brazilian pit viper. This drug works by inhibiting an enzyme that regulates blood pressure, a process first observed in the natural peptides found in viper venom. Captopril was a pioneer, the first of many venom-derived medications that utilised the power of natural toxins to treat chronic conditions.
Another notable example is eptifibatide, derived from the venom of the southeastern pygmy rattlesnake. This drug prevents blood clots in patients undergoing cardiac procedures by inhibiting platelets like natural snake venom does. Similarly, tirofiban, which originates from the venom of the saw-scaled viper is used in treating acute coronary syndrome.
I want to emphasise that snake and lizard venom aren’t the only venoms being examined. The venom of cone snails and spiders targets specific ion channels and receptors, giving researchers inspiration for drugs that can manage pain or autoimmune diseases without the side effects of traditional drugs.
As venom research advances, we must also focus on its ethical and ecological impacts. Protecting endangered venomous species leads to more sustainable research practices, such as synthesising venom components in labs. This reduces the need to extract venom from wild populations and also ensures scalable drug production from a hard-to-obtain resource.
Anirban Mahapatra is a scientist and author, most recently of the popular science book, When The Drugs Don’t Work: The Hidden Pandemic That Could End Medicine. The views expressed are personal.
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!
See moreContinue reading with HT Premium Subscription
