A new species of the mygalomorph spider genus Euagrus Ausserer (Araneae: Euagridae) from central Mexico and new records of E. gus Coyle from Tlaxcala

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  A new species of the mygalomorph spider genus Euagrus Ausserer (Araneae: Euagridae) from central Mexico and new records of E. gus Coyle from Tlaxcala Abstract  A new species of the spider genus Euagrus Ausserer, 1875 from temperate pine-oak forests in the states of Tlaxcala and Hidalgo, Mexico is described: E. pulque sp. nov. The description of the new species is based on male and female adult specimens. Additionally, Euagrus gus Coyle, 1988 is recorded for the very first time in the state of Tlaxcala. These species have sympatric distributions in La Malinche National Park, Tlaxcala. With this description, the diversity of the genus increases to 23 species, with Mexico harboring the highest diversity with 17 described species.  Valdez-Mondragón, A., Salinas-Velasco, H. V. & Bueno-Villegas, J. (2026). A new species of the mygalomorph spider genus Euagrus Ausserer (Araneae: Euagridae) from central Mexico and new records of E. gus Coyle from Tlaxcala. Zootaxa 5810 (...

Harnessing Snake Venom for Therapeutics: A Path from Toxins to Treatments

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Harnessing Snake Venom for Therapeutics: A Path from Toxins to Treatments

Abstract

Snake venom has developed over millions of years as a tool for capturing prey and defending against predators and other threats. Snake venom contains diverse proteins and peptides, which elicit a range of pathophysiological abnormalities including cytotoxic, neurotoxic, myotoxic, hemolytic and inflammatory effects in the victim, and cause severe morbidity. Although these venom proteins have significant pharmacological potential, many remain insufficiently explored for therapeutic applications. Therefore, this article critically reviews the attributes of selected toxic proteins, which make them suitable drugs for the well-being of mankind. Although these toxins have serious adverse effects on human health, research has shown that they can be modified to exhibit beneficial properties and serve as potential treatments for various diseases. In addition to being a model protein for drug development, the similarity in sequence and structure indicates that these toxic proteins can be used in protein replacement therapy to combat several human diseases. The article also addresses the challenges faced during the entire process, starting from the initial phase of choosing venom proteins to drug formulation. While nanotechnology-based formulations of snake venom-derived drugs exhibit promise across diverse therapeutic domains, additional research and development efforts on the different variants of these proteins are essential to fully unlock their clinical advantages and enhance their efficacy for disease treatment.

Citation: Singh P, Jayaraman G. Harnessing Snake Venom for Therapeutics: A Path from Toxins to Treatments. J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2025;19(4):2495-2522. doi: 10.22207/JPAM.19.4.01