Venom in the fight against cancer: Role of Gorgio International Holding’s Research Center in advancing medical research

Cancer is becoming the most prominent cause of diseases and deaths in human history around the world. With the rising number of cancer cases, the pharmaceutical industry is investing its major time in discovering new and effective drugs to cure cancer. Venoms are a diverse mixture that contains peptides, enzymes, proteins, carbohydrates, and other bioactive molecules secret by venomous animals, such as snakes, bees, etc., to defend against enemies. 

In drug discovery, it is important to know the properties of venom and how to convert the toxin material into a valuable source to discover new compounds. In 1981, the FDA approved Captopril, the first ever angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, which was established using the structure of a peptide found in snake venom as a model. In the 1930s, the first accounts of snake venoms being employed in cancer therapy emerged.

Afterward, several studies were published based on the events like isolations, purifications, and structure elucidations of the components from snake venoms. Conducting thorough examinations of the structure and functions of snake venoms could aid in creating new medications for treating cancer.

The Use of Venom to Combat Cancer:

The venom contains toxins that precisely bind to the prey’s receptors. The venom can target only the cancer cells in combating cancer without damaging the other healthy human cells, which is rare in cancer treatment options such as chemotherapy.

The Lyophilized (Freeze-dried) venoms from various types of scorpions, snakes, and bees.

• Scorpion Venom:

 Scorpion venom contains certain peptides, biogenic amines, nucleotides, salt, proteins, mucoproteins, chlorotoxin (CLTX), enzymes (hyaluronidase, L-amino acid oxidase, metalloproteinase, phospholipase A2, serine protease). The peptide found in scorpion venom contains properties like antiepileptic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-cancer.

 As scorpions use their venom to kill their prey, City of Hope research teams have used it to direct T cells to treat cancerous cells. These researchers used chlorotoxin, a part of scorpion venom, and targeted cancerous cells without upsetting nontumor cells in other organs, specifically the brain. 

The team proved that CAR T cells directed by CLTX were extremely efficient in destroying human GBM cells in both animal models and cell-based experiments without harming healthy cells. It is a huge success in medical history, and the research team is motivated enough.

• Bee Venom: 

Bee venom is made by female worker bees. It contains numerous active ingredients, i.e., amino acids, peptides (ado-lapin, degranulating peptide, melittin, apamin, mast cells), enzymes ((hyaluronidase and phospholipase A2), and volatile compounds. Research revealed that bee venom contains antiviral and anti-cancer properties. Additionally, venom has therapeutic effects that help treat CNS diseases, e.g., Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s) and human inflation.

Recent researches have shown that bee venom has an active component toxic to certain types of cancer cells. Along with this, bee venom has become a subject in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. 

The melittin found in bee venom is responsible for several medical effects. For many years, scientists have been concerned about the anti-tumor properties of melittin, which are an effective component found in peptides to combat the most deadly skin cancer, melanoma. 

A scientist from the Institute of Medical Research in Western Australia “Harry Perkins” conducted research in which his team evaluated the venom of 312 bumblebees and honeybees. They found that bee venom has surprisingly curable properties of damaging a few cancer cells, specifically breast cancer. Among these are triple-negative breast cancer and HER2-enriched, both of which have restricted treatment alternatives.

The serum made from the bee venom can kill the cancerous cells within an hour at a specific concentration, and meantime, it also causes partial damage to the healthy cells lying around. Peptide melittin can disturb the cancer cells’ growth. The scientists discovered that the peptide could impede the signalling pathways that cancer cells use to reproduce, which led to a substantial deceleration of tumour growth.

• Snake Venom:

Snake venom contains several proteins, toxins, enzymes, peptides, and inorganic cations. Many snake venoms have biological effects, i.e., blood regulation, the transmission of nerve impulses, blood coagulation, and pressure. Due to snake venom’s analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects, it acts as a therapeutic agent to cure multiple diseases, i.e., stroke, cancer, thrombosis, arthritis, etc. Therefore, in the medical world, this venom is utilised as a pharmacological tool, diagnostic, and even to manufacture medicines. 

For ages, snake venom has been used as a common medicine. The venom’s component has high affinity and actions on cells, and snake venom is mainly cytotoxic to cancer cells than normal healthy cells. The emergence of contemporary technologies has substantially helped rapidly extract and identify novel therapeutic components of interest. However, snake venom’s bioactive and natural ingredients can be used to manufacture anti-envenomation treatments. Many of these substances are now shown to have anti-cancer properties.

 It has been demonstrated that various snake-venom toxins and compounds have selective toxicity and anti-cancer action in breast, cervical, and other cancer cell lines. New snake-venom toxins and chemicals that are effective at killing blood cancer cells have also been discovered through in vitro studies. 

Role of Quatech in Advancing Medical Research:

Quatech invents and supports the food and pharmaceutical type industries to conduct research. For that purpose, they call professionals and functional teams from all over the world and apply their suggestions and ideas to solve some major issues the general public encounters. They have successfully produced effective wound-healing medicines for bedsores, diabetic foot, burn ulcers, etc. Along with these remarkable discoveries, they have successfully introduced anti-cancer and anti-aging medical and nutritional supplements. 

Additionally, this center is also heavily involved in producing venom from venomous animals for creating anti-rheumatoid and antidote medications, researching and developing new anti-cancer drugs, and also designing and constructing shuttle drugs for CNS diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Schwann’s tumour, and more. To accomplish this goal, Quatech partnered with Gorgio International Holding to take on the responsibility of improving the community’s living standards, which will lead to greater social status and prestige for all people.

Conclusion: 

This article aims to inspire the pharmaceutical industry with interest in this beautiful area by highlighting the importance of venoms in cancer treatment like Quatech does, as venom has the potential to bring hope, happiness, and relief to numerous cancer patients in the upcoming years.