Paging Dr. Snake: Researchers Create Therapeutic Venom Database

Thousands of people each year visit the doctor due to bites and stings, but soon doctors may be dealing out venom as medicine. Or so a new project speculates. Data scientists at the University of Columbia have created the first searchable catalog of animal toxins with therapeutic potential, called VenomKB (short for Venom Knowledge Base). Over 42,723 physiological effects are documented in detail, and associated studies are indexed for easy access.

While the creation of such a database may seem odd, it's really just a continuation of a well-established practice. After all, many ancient and modern medicines are derived from plant compounds that are poisonous in the wild, such as digoxin, a toxin extracted from foxglove. Digoxin has been used to treat cardiac symptoms since the days of Vincent Van Gogh, and may have been responsible for some of the unusual stylistic elements of his work. More recently, a compound isolated from the snowdrop has emerged as a major treatment for Alzheimer's disease. So, searching for therapeutic potential in animal toxins might not be quite so far-fetched.

There is historical evidence for the use of animal toxins as medicine, but modern therapeutic usage of venom has been slow to catch on. However, animal venoms have been shown to hold impressive potential in a diverse array of therapeutic applications. For example, Byetta®, now a leading type-2 diabetes drug, is derived from the venom of the Gila monster, while the experimental, tumor-labeling bombesin comes from the skin of the fire-bellied toad. Many more venoms, toxins and poisonous secretions are yet to be investigated beyond healing the injury the animal causes. The creators of VenomKB hope that their product will aid researchers in developing new studies to discover what applications venoms may offer us.

One may think that these applications represent a shift in our way of thinking about the distinction between medicine and toxin, but as doctors have long known, any medicine outside its therapeutic range is a toxin. These endeavors are aimed at understanding mechanisms of action and adapting them to our own uses, as doctors have done for centuries to help us all get well soon.

Sources:

Data scientists create world's first therapeutic venom database. (2015, November 26). Retrieved January 4, 2016, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/303236.php
Veeresham, C. (2012). Natural products derived from plants as a source of drugs. J Adv Pharm Tech Res Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research, 200-200.
Wilcox, C. (2015, March 24). Poison as Medicine. Retrieved January 4, 2016, from http://discovermagazine.com/2015/april/00-poison-medicine