©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Biol Chem. May 26, 2015; 6(2): 28-33
Published online May 26, 2015. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v6.i2.28
Published online May 26, 2015. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v6.i2.28
Animal venom studies: Current benefits and future developments
Yuri N Utkin, Laboratory of Molecular Toxinology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow 117997, Russia
Author contributions: Utkin YN solely contributed to this paper.
Supported by The research funding from Russian Foundation for Basic Research, No. 15-04-01843.
Conflict-of-interest: The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.
Correspondence to: Yuri N Utkin, Professor, Head, Laboratory of Molecular Toxinology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, Moscow 117997, Russia. utkin@mx.ibch.ru
Telephone: +7-495-3366522 Fax: +7-495-3366522
Received: January 29, 2015
Peer-review started: January 31, 2015
First decision: March 6, 2015
Revised: March 23, 2015
Accepted: April 8, 2015
Article in press: April 9, 2015
Published online: May 26, 2015
Processing time: 112 Days and 7.4 Hours
Peer-review started: January 31, 2015
First decision: March 6, 2015
Revised: March 23, 2015
Accepted: April 8, 2015
Article in press: April 9, 2015
Published online: May 26, 2015
Processing time: 112 Days and 7.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Animal venoms are complex mixtures mostly of peptides and proteins. Recent studies have indicated that the single venom may contain up to several hundred different components producing diverse physiological effects. The knowledge of venom composition as well as structure and properties of its components on the one hand may give the clue for better treatment of bites and stings on the other hand it may lead to the discovery of new medicines. Recent developments in research methods gave a great impulse to animal venom studies, which may result in the entry of new drugs to the market.