Animal Venom Pharmacological Resources: Exploiting Bioactive Peptides to Target Multi-Drug-Resistant Bacteria.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains pose a significant global health threat.
• The development of new antibacterial treatments is lagging, necessitating novel therapeutic discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review animal venom as a source of broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).
• To explore AMPs as potential drug templates for next-generation therapeutics.

Main Methods:

• Review of identified AMPs from diverse venomous taxa (scorpions, snakes, spiders, frogs, bees, wasps).
• Analysis of AMPs' bactericidal activity and mechanisms of action.
• Discussion of analog development, repurposing strategies, nanotechnology, and computational methods.

Main Results:

• Numerous AMPs exhibit bactericidal activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
• AMPs employ diverse mechanisms, including membrane disruption, biofilm inhibition, and immunomodulation.
• Venom-derived AMPs serve as a basis for developing analogs with improved potency and reduced toxicity.

Conclusions:

• Animal venom is a rich reservoir for discovering novel antimicrobial agents.
• Advanced approaches like computational methods and nanotechnology accelerate the development of venom-derived antimicrobials.
• These strategies provide a roadmap for future antimicrobial treatments against resistant bacteria.