Differential Hematotoxic Activity of Southeast Asian Pit Viper Venoms: The Cross-Neutralizing Effect of Available Antivenoms

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  Image Credit: Creative Commons (some rights reserved) CC BY-NC Photo 111998430, (c) Nicholas Hess Differential Hematotoxic Activity of Southeast Asian Pit Viper Venoms: The Cross-Neutralizing Effect of Available Antivenoms Abstract Background/Objectives : Pit vipers (subfamily Crotalinae) are responsible for a large proportion of snakebite envenoming cases in Southeast Asia. Envenomation by these snakes commonly causes hematotoxic effects, including platelet dysfunction and coagulation disturbances. Although antivenom remains the mainstay of treatment, species-specific antivenoms are not available for several regional pit viper species. This study evaluated the hematotoxic activities of selected Southeast Asian pit viper venoms and the cross-neutralizing capacity of commercially available antivenoms.  Methods : Venoms from five medically important pit viper species— Calloselasma rhodostoma ,  Trimeresurus albolabris ,  T. hageni ,  T. purpureomaculatus , ...

Could venom-derived therapeutics resolve treatment resistance in refractory EAC?

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Could venom-derived therapeutics resolve treatment resistance in refractory EAC?

Abstract

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is rising in Western countries. Despite advances in chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the prognosis remains poor, with an overall 5-year survival rate below 15%. A major challenge is the cancer’s poor and often unpredictable response to current treatments. Animal venoms represent a promising yet underexplored source of therapeutic agents, offering millions of structurally diverse and highly potent bioactive peptides that can modulate a wide array of molecular targets. However, only a small fraction of these peptides has been pharmacologically characterized. This review presents the therapeutic potential of venom-derived peptides in cancer treatment, summarizes the role of ion channels in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), and discusses peptides targeting ion channels that may offer new opportunities for future EAC treatment.

Freuville L, Matthys C, Gilliaux Q ...Could venom-derived therapeutics resolve treatment resistance in refractory EAC? Trends in Molecular Medicine, 2026; 0, 
https://www.cell.com/trends/molecular-medicine/fulltext/S1471-4914(26)00064-X