It has been an unusually hot summer. Vast swathes of the globe haveexperienced prolonged heatwaves and jellyfish, bees, wasps, scorpions,snakes and spiders have thrived in the balmy temperatures. All of thesecreatureshavevarieties thatareable toproducevenom, deployedviaadeliverymechanism (such as a sting, barb or fang) to catch prey and/or act asa defense mechanism. Although usually painful rather than fatal tohumans, venomous species still account for more than 80,000 deaths annually.Indeed, a recent envenoming study reported by The Lancet on July12, 2018, predicted that 90% of the global population live within range ofareas inhabited by snakes, and 272.91 million individuals are exposed tovenomous snakes where no effective therapy exists. Venoms typicallycomprise a complex mix of biochemicals that are evolutionarily adaptedto interact with a variety of cellular components within the target organism.Someof these active compounds have exquisitely potent and selectivemodes of action that have the potential to be coopted formedicinal use. Infact the termpharmacology is derived from the ancient Greek pharmakon,meaning remedy and poison, and this dichotomy between the harmfuland beneficial actions of venom has fascinated mankind for millennia.
展开▼
