—Common anti-inflammatory drugs could be an antidote for scorpion venom “Common medicines indomethacin and celecoxib tame deadly immune reaction in mice exposed to scorpion poison” The sting of a scorpion can be deadly without the right antivenom handy—each year, some 3,000 people die from encounters with these poisonous arthropods.
by Sarah Everts | February 24, 2016
—Painkiller Found In Snake Venom “Drug Discovery: Peptides boast potency of morphine while lacking its side effects” French researchers have discovered potent painkilling peptides from an unlikely source—the venom of black mamba snakes (Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature11494). The peptides, which relieve pain in mice as powerfully as morphine does, act by a mechanism different from that of available painkillers.
by Deirdre Lockwood | October 05, 2012
What is snake venom made of? Venom is a cocktail of proteins with different functions. Most of them are enzymes, like metalloproteases, which basically chop proteins indiscriminately in the body, causing hemorrhage. There are also inhibitors of other proteins. These are found primarily in neurotoxic venoms, which paralyze the victim.
by Melissa Pandika, special to C&EN | May 30, 2018
—Acid boosts a scorpion’s sting “The low pH of an East Asian scorpion’s venom helps one of its peptide toxins cause more pain” The sting of an East Asian Buthidae scorpion causes excruciating pain thanks to more than 100 peptide toxins in its venom. In particular, the 29-amino acid peptide, BmP01, targets one of the most famous pain receptors in mammals, the ion channel called TRPV1, which is better known for being the receptor for capsaicin, the chemical responsible for hot chilies’ burn.
by Sarah Everts | August 07, 2017
—Insect's Venom Eyed For Cancer Defense “” Camouflage is not the only trick Madagascar walkingsticks use to thwart their enemies. These insects also spray a defensive fluid, and Arthur S. Edison of the University of Florida and coworkers hope the fluid's key component, parectadial (shown), will ward off a human enemy: cancer.
August 13, 2007
It involves milking a venomous snake and then immunizing animals, mostly horses, with diluted venom. The horses’ immune systems generate antibodies against the venom molecules over a few months. Technicians then take blood plasma from the horses and extract the antibodies to make the antivenom serum.
by Dinsa Sachan, special to C&EN | January 28, 2019
Venomous mammals are rare, but the North American short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda, secretes venom from salivary glands in its lower jaw to paralyze prey. The secret behind the shrew’s stunning saliva intrigues at least two research groups. John M. Stewart, a biochemistry professor at Canada’s Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, has been studying B. brevicauda’s venom for about four years. His team found a small, active peptide in the shrew’s venomous brew that they’ve since synthesized and named soricidin, after the shrew family Soricidae. Stewart’s interest in shrew venom was sparked when a visiting postdoc, Karl Vernes, showed him a small groove in the outer side of a shrew’s lower incisor. Vernes explained that the groove is where venom is injected into the prey. Stewart wanted to know what the venom consists of but soon found out that the material had never been purified. He decided to pursue the matter. Stewart is in the process of patenting soricidin for pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses.
by Rachel Sheremeta Pepling | October 13, 2004
Vestaron, meanwhile, is screening synthetic mimics that share the insecticidal and toxicity characteristics of spider venom peptides. And it hopes to grow its market by inserting venom peptide genes into corn, cotton, and soybeans. But for now, Sorenson is pleased to introduce a product he calls extraordinary.
by Melody M. Bomgardner | March 13, 2017
—Ant Battle Yields Ionic Liquid “Chemists identify the first example of a natural ionic liquid by studying the venom of feuding ants” A territorial war is raging in North America. Fire ants—Solenopsis invicta, an invasive South American species—are vying for space with tawny crazy ants—Nylanderia fulva, another South American native. Although fire ants possess insecticidal venom, tawny crazy ants appear to have the upper hand, capturing 93% of resources contested between the two species, according to studies. Chemists have concluded that tawny crazy ants are able to detoxify the fire ant venom with their own venom, formic acid.
by Bethany Halford | July 28, 2014
Photo by Daisuke Uemura Venomous mammals are rare, but the North American short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda, secretes venom from salivary glands in its lower jaw to paralyze prey. The secret behind the shrews stunning saliva intrigues at least two research groups. John M. Stewart, a biochemistry professor at Canadas Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, has been studying B. brevicaudas venom for about four years. His team found a small, active peptide in the shrews venomous brew that theyve since synthesized and named soricidin, after the shrew family Soricidae. Stewarts interest in shrew venom was sparked when a visiting postdoc, Karl Vernes, showed him a small groove in the outer side of a shrews lower incisor. Vernes explained that the groove is where venom is injected into the prey. Stewart wanted to know what the venom consists of but soon found out that the material had never been purified. He decided to pursue the matter. Stewart is in the process of patenting soricidin for pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses.
by RACHEL SHEREMETA PEPLING | October 18, 2004