Richard James Lewis

CHAPTER 3:Venoms-Based Drug Discovery: Proteomic and Transcriptomic Approaches

Modern proteomic and transcriptomic approaches have revolutionised our understanding of the chemical diversity of animal venoms. Moreover, recent studies have highlighted the value of combining these approaches (for example, by combining mass spectrometry derived sequence tags with deep sequencing information). These approaches are allowing more rapid deconvolution of hit venoms, as well as identification of orthologues/paralogues of lead molecules with potentially useful variations in activity. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the impact of modern proteomic and transcriptomic approaches on venoms-based drug discovery and to discuss their likely impact in future years.

CHAPTER 7:Peptide Therapeutics from Venomous Creatures

Venomous animals have evolved sophisticated strategies for prey capture, defence and competitor deterrence. Their venom is a complex chemical cocktail of salts, small molecules, peptide toxins and enzymes. The extraordinary richness and diversity of bioactive venom peptides, which have evolved primarily to act on the nervous systems of heterologous species from various taxa, makes them an attractive source of molecular probes for studying the pharmacology of ion channels and receptors as well as templates for the design of therapeutics for pain management. This chapter provides an overview of venom peptides that are already used as antinociceptive drugs or which are undergoing clinical trials and preclinical studies, with a particular emphasis on their structure, function and pharmacology.