Introduction: In the current treatment of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, natural bioactive compounds, especially snake venom toxins, stand out as promising therapeutic candidates for selectively modulating critical molecular targets in tumor progression. The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic potential of snake venom toxins in modulating biological processes associated with the treatment of CNS tumors. Methodology: We reviewed databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, covering publications from 2014 to 2024. The search terms used were: “snake venoms”, “tumors” and “central nervous system”. English-language articles published between 2014 and 2024 reporting experimental studies on snake venom toxins applied to the treatment of central nervous system tumors were included. Reviews, duplications, and studies without direct relevance to the topic were excluded. In total, eight articles were selected. Results: Several compounds derived from the venom showed antitumor activity in in vitro and in vivo models. Contortrostatin, from Agkistrodon contortrix, inhibited angiogenesis and tumor invasion, prolonging survival in murine glioma models. Leucurolisin-B and basic phospholipase A2 from Bothrops leucurus induced apoptosis or selective necrosis in glioma cell lines (C6, U251), with lower toxicity to normal cells. Additional evidence supports the cytotoxic and immunomodulatory potential of other components of the venom, thus reinforcing its relevance. Conclusions: Preclinical studies are encouraging, but clinical translation remains limited. Advances in delivery systems and controlled trials are needed to confirm its safety and therapeutic efficacy in humans.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, L.G.; methodology, L.G.; formal analysis, L.G.; investigation, L.G.; data curation, L.G.; writing—original draft preparation, L.G.; writing—review and editing, L.G.; visualization, L.G.; supervision, L.G.; project administration, L.G.; validation, L.G., A.C.F.L., I.D.S.V.P., L.H.A.T., M.G.C.S. and S.C.S.; resources, L.G. and C.N.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
The data presented in this study are openly available in publicly accessible repositories. The datasets analyzed were derived from resources available in the public domain, including: PubMed (
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16235686/ (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16707922/ (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15041797/ (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15987550/ (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12881036/ (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37793125/ (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24683541/ (accessed on 1 February 2026) and Institutional Repositories and Scientific Databases (
https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/17170 (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://repositorio.ufba.br/bitstream/ri/17170/1/Tamires%20Barbosa%20Bezerra%20Copy.pdf (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://www.bahia.fiocruz.br/citotoxicidade-do-veneno-de-serpente-para-tratamento-de-tumor-e-avaliada-em-tese/ (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332224012708 (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://www.scielo.br/j/jvatitd/a/RbF6NyBGsB6cYkDT6v7ktVD/?lang=en (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11033-024-09970-z (accessed on 1 February 2026),
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15419060302062 (accessed on 1 February 2026)).
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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