Website Update: Email Subscriptions Discontinued

Posted by
  Website Update: Email Subscriptions Discontinued I want to share an important update regarding email subscriptions and newsletters on Arácnido Taxonomy. Effective immediately, I have discontinued using Mailchimp for email newsletter subscriptions. Over the past several days, the subscription system and associated website functions have been subjected to persistent automated bot activity and attempted exploitation. In addition to generating unwanted subscription activity, these requests have contributed to periods of reduced website performance. To help protect the website, its content, and legitimate visitors, the Mailchimp subscription and registration functions have been removed. Following Arácnido Taxonomy via RSS For the foreseeable future, RSS will be the primary way to subscribe to and follow new posts and updates from Arácnido Taxonomy. RSS provides a simple, direct way to receive new content without submitting an email address or creating an account. Once the Arácnido Ta...

Venom-Derived Enzyme Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents: Structure–Activity Relationships, Molecular Targets and Mechanistic Insights

Posted by

 


Venom-Derived Enzyme Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents: Structure–Activity Relationships, Molecular Targets and Mechanistic Insights

Abstract

Animal venoms represent an extraordinary, yet largely untapped, biochemical reservoir for oncological drug discovery. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of venom-derived enzyme inhibitors as emerging anticancer agents, emphasizing their chemical diversity, structure–activity relationships (SAR), molecular targets, and mechanistic pathways. Venom-derived peptides and proteins exhibit exceptional binding affinity and structural rigidity, characteristics frequently enforced by conserved disulfide networks. This specific architecture allows them to selectively modulate critical cancer-associated enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinases, phospholipases A2, serine proteases, and kinases. Inhibiting these highly specific targets successfully disrupts tumour angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodelling, and metastatic dissemination, while simultaneously inducing apoptosis through unique pathways such as reactive oxygen species generation. Modern computational approaches, encompassing deep learning algorithms, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations, are substantially accelerating and transforming the discovery pipeline by rapidly mapping intricate peptide–receptor interactions and guiding rational drug design. Translating these potent molecules into clinical therapeutics remains heavily challenged by pharmacokinetic instability, rapid proteolytic degradation, and systemic toxicity. The integration of computationally optimized scaffolds with advanced targeted delivery platforms, such as nanocarriers and liposomal encapsulation, offers a highly viable strategy to overcome these barriers, ultimately paving the way for next-generation, venom-inspired cancer therapies.

Ogundele, A. V., Nongthombam, G. S., Nwagu, A. D., Silva, H. H., & Fabiyi, O. A. (2026). Venom-Derived Enzyme Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents: Structure–Activity Relationships, Molecular Targets and Mechanistic Insights. Molecules, 31(13), 2398. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31132398