Venom and Toxin Agents as Human Disease Therapeutics
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 67
Special Issue Editor
Interests: phospholipase A2l; serine protease from snake venoms; pharmacological activity of snake venoms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nature has been an invaluable source of bioactive compounds, playing a crucial role in the discovery of new drugs. Among these natural sources, venoms and toxins from organisms such as snakes, spiders and microorganisms present a rich library of molecules with significant therapeutic potential. Historically, the understanding and application of venoms and toxins have transformed areas of medicine, offering new perspectives for the treatment of complex conditions such as hypertension, cancer and bacterial infections.
The discovery of captopril, an ACE inhibitor derived from snake venom, marked a revolution in the treatment of hypertension, illustrating the potential of venoms as a source of new drugs. Similarly, research into the toxin from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum led to the development of innovative treatments for neuromuscular disorders, underlining the therapeutic versatility of these molecules. Despite these successes, many gaps remain in the exploitation of venoms and toxins for therapeutic applications. The biochemical complexity and diversity of these compounds present significant challenges, from identifying bioactive molecules to understanding their mechanisms of action and optimizing them for clinical use. In addition, ethical, safety and sustainability issues related to the collection and use of these natural materials require innovative and responsible approaches. The future of venom and toxin research for the development of new drugs is promising, with advances in bioprospecting techniques, bioinformatics and protein engineering opening up new avenues for drug discovery. The development of high-throughput screening platforms and the application of personalized medicine approaches have the potential to accelerate the identification and development of new therapeutic agents derived from venoms and toxins. In conclusion, research into venom agents and toxins offers a unique opportunity to broaden the therapeutic arsenal available for the treatment of human diseases. By addressing existing gaps and fully exploiting the potential of these natural compounds, we can pave the way for a new era of medical discovery.
The potential topics of interest, submitted in the form of original articles or mini-reviews, are as follows:
- Introduction to poisons and toxins as therapeutic sources;
- Historical discoveries and success stories;
- Mechanisms of action of poisons and toxins;
- Challenges in turning toxins into therapies;
- Future perspectives and untapped therapeutic potential;
- Case studies in drug research and development;
- Comments and perspectives from experts.
Prof. Dr. Marcos Hikari Toyama
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- poisons
- toxins
- therapeutics
- medicines
- bioactives
- proteins
- enzymes
- bioprospecting
- pharmacology
- biotechnology
