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Toxins 2010, 2(12), 2851-2871; doi:10.3390/toxins2122851
Review
Spider-Venom Peptides as Therapeutics
Natalie J. Saez
, Sebastian Senff, Jonas E. Jensen, Sing Yan Er, Volker Herzig, Lachlan D. Rash and Glenn F. King*
, Sebastian Senff, Jonas E. Jensen, Sing Yan Er, Volker Herzig, Lachlan D. Rash and Glenn F. King*
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 16 November 2010; in revised form: 17 December 2010 / Accepted: 17 December 2010 / Published: 20 December 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxins as Therapeutics)
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Abstract: Spiders are the most successful venomous animals and the most abundant terrestrial predators. Their remarkable success is due in large part to their ingenious exploitation of silk and the evolution of pharmacologically complex venoms that ensure rapid subjugation of prey. Most spider venoms are dominated by disulfide-rich peptides that typically have high affinity and specificity for particular subtypes of ion channels and receptors. Spider venoms are conservatively predicted to contain more than 10 million bioactive peptides, making them a valuable resource for drug discovery. Here we review the structure and pharmacology of spider-venom peptides that are being used as leads for the development of therapeutics against a wide range of pathophysiological conditions including cardiovascular disorders, chronic pain, inflammation, and erectile dysfunction.
Keywords: spider venom; peptide; therapeutics; drugs; drug discovery; cystine knot
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MDPI and ACS Style
Saez, N.J.; Senff, S.; Jensen, J.E.; Er, S.Y.; Herzig, V.; Rash, L.D.; King, G.F. Spider-Venom Peptides as Therapeutics. Toxins 2010, 2, 2851-2871.
AMA StyleSaez NJ, Senff S, Jensen JE, Er SY, Herzig V, Rash LD, King GF. Spider-Venom Peptides as Therapeutics. Toxins. 2010; 2(12):2851-2871.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSaez, Natalie J.; Senff, Sebastian; Jensen, Jonas E.; Er, Sing Yan; Herzig, Volker; Rash, Lachlan D.; King, Glenn F. 2010. "Spider-Venom Peptides as Therapeutics." Toxins 2, no. 12: 2851-2871.