Snake venoms are sources of molecules with proven and potential therapeutic applications.\nHowever, most activities assayed in venoms (or their components) are of hemorrhagic, hypotensive,\nedematogenic, neurotoxic or myotoxic natures. Thus, other relevant activities might remain\nunknown. Using functional genomics coupled to the connectivity map (C-map) approach, we\nundertook a wide range indirect search for biological activities within the venom of the South\nAmerican pit viper Bothrops jararaca. For that effect, venom was incubated with human breast\nadenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7) followed by RNA extraction and gene expression analysis. A list\nof 90 differentially expressed genes was submitted to biosimilar drug discovery based on pattern\nrecognition. Among the 100 highest-ranked positively correlated drugs, only the antihypertensive,\nantimicrobial (both antibiotic and antiparasitic), and antitumor classes had been previously reported\nfor B. jararaca venom. The majority of drug classes identified were related to (1) antimicrobial activity;\n(2) treatment of neuropsychiatric illnesses (Parkinson�s disease, schizophrenia, depression, and\nepilepsy); (3) treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and (4) anti-inflammatory action. The C-map\nresults also indicated that B. jararaca venom may have components that target G-protein-coupled\nreceptors (muscarinic, serotonergic, histaminergic, dopaminergic, GABA, and adrenergic) and ion\nchannels. Although validation experiments are still necessary, the C-map correlation to drugs with\nactivities previously linked to snake venoms supports the efficacy of this strategy as a broad-spectrum\napproach for biological activity screening, and rekindles the snake venom-based search for new\ntherapeutic agents.
Loading....