The Dual Nature of Venom: Transforming Toxins into Therapeutic Peptides

Venom has been extracted from venomous animals since ancient times for use as hunting tools or biological weapons. In the modern era, the focus has shifted toward the biomedical potential of venom, particularly its rich composition of bioactive compounds. Among these, venom peptides are of particular interest due to their potent and selective biological activities. These peptides often constitute a significant portion of crude venom mixtures and have emerged as promising candidates for drug development. The growing body of research in this field has led to the establishment of "venomics," a discipline that integrates proteomics, transcriptomics, and genomics to comprehensively characterize venom components. Technological advancements, such as high-throughput sequencing, mass spectrometry, and advanced computational tools, have revolutionized venomics, enabling deeper insights into venom composition, function, and evolutionary biology. These innovations have facilitated the discovery of venom-derived peptides with therapeutic applications, including treatments for chronic pain, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune disorders. However, despite these promising developments, challenges remain. These include the complexity of venom mixtures, ethical considerations in venom collection, and difficulties in translating in vitro findings into clinical applications. This review explores the evolution and technological progress of venomics, highlights key therapeutic applications of venom peptides, and discusses current limitations and future prospects in the field.