Abstract:
:Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of individuals worldwide. So far, no disease-modifying drug is available to treat patients, making the search for effective drugs an urgent need. Neurodegeneration is triggered by the activation of several cellular processes, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial impairment, neuroinflammation, aging, aggregate formation, glutamatergic excitotoxicity, and apoptosis. Therefore, many research groups aim to identify drugs that may inhibit one or more of these events leading to neuronal cell death. Venoms are fruitful natural sources of new molecules, which have been relentlessly enhanced by evolution through natural selection. Several studies indicate that venom components can exhibit selectivity and affinity for a wide variety of targets in mammalian systems. For instance, an expressive number of natural peptides identified in venoms from animals, such as snakes, scorpions, bees, and spiders, were shown to lessen inflammation, regulate glutamate release, modify neurotransmitter levels, block ion channel activation, decrease the number of protein aggregates, and increase the levels of neuroprotective factors. Thus, these venom components hold potential as therapeutic tools to slow or even halt neurodegeneration. However, there are many technological issues to overcome, as venom peptides are hard to obtain and characterize and the amount obtained from natural sources is insufficient to perform all the necessary experiments and tests. Fortunately, technological improvements regarding heterologous protein expression, as well as peptide chemical synthesis will help to provide enough quantities and allow chemical and pharmacological enhancements of these natural occurring compounds. Thus, the main focus of this review is to highlight the most promising studies evaluating animal toxins as therapeutic tools to treat a wide variety of neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, brain ischemia, glaucoma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis.
journal_name
Front Pharmacoljournal_title
Frontiers in pharmacologyauthors
de Souza JM,Goncalves BDC,Gomez MV,Vieira LB,Ribeiro FMdoi
10.3389/fphar.2018.00145subject
Has Abstractpub_date
2018-02-23 00:00:00pages
145issn
1663-9812journal_volume
9pub_type
杂志文章,评审abstract::Direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA testing has grown from contentious beginnings into a global industry, by providing a wide range of personal genomic information directly to its clients. These companies, typified by the well-established 23andMe, generally carry out a gene-chip analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (S...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2012.00152
更新日期:2012-08-20 00:00:00
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journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
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journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
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abstract::Background: The effects of drug treatment on veterans, who have a high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are not clear, and the guidelines are different from the recommendations of the recent meta-analysis. Our goal was to find the efficacy and frequencies of complications of drugs that can treat PTSD in ...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
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abstract::Cancer is a common malignant disease worldwide with an increasing mortality in recent years. Salvia miltiorrhiza, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases for thousands of years. The liposoluble tanshinones in S. miltiorrhiza are importan...
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doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00193
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pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
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abstract::Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe cerebrovascular disease with a high incidence, mortality and disability rate. Danhong injection (DHI) is beneficial for ischemic stroke, but is prohibited for ICH due to risk of bleeding. The present study aims to explore the potential therapeutic time window and molecular me...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00346
更新日期:2020-03-25 00:00:00
abstract:Objective:Huangqin decoction (HQD), a classical traditional Chinese medicinal formula, has been commonly used to treat gastrointestinal diseases for thousands of years. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and underlying mechanisms of HQD on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). Method...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.01552
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abstract::Salvinorin A, a neoclerodane diterpene isolated from Salvia divinorum, exerts a number of pharmacological actions which are not solely limited to the central nervous system. Recently it has been demonstrated that Salvinorin A inhibits acute inflammatory response affecting leukotriene (LT) production. Since LTs are pot...
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pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2016.00525
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doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00188
更新日期:2019-03-05 00:00:00
abstract::The application of liposomes to assist drug delivery has already had a major impact on many biomedical areas. They have been shown to be beneficial for stabilizing therapeutic compounds, overcoming obstacles to cellular and tissue uptake, and improving biodistribution of compounds to target sites in vivo. This enables...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.3389/fphar.2015.00286
更新日期:2015-12-01 00:00:00
abstract::The inflammatory response to COVID-19 is specifically associated with an impaired type I interferon (IFN) response and complete blockade of IFN-β secretion. Clinically, nebulization of IFN-α-2b has been historically used in China to treat viral pneumonia associated with SARS-CoV. Very recent data show that the use of ...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.592543
更新日期:2020-11-30 00:00:00
abstract::Tumor-targeting nanomaterial-based chemotherapeutic drug delivery systems have been shown to represent an efficacious approach for the treatment of cancer because of their stability in blood circulation and predictable delivery patterns, enhanced tumor-selective drug accumulation, and decreased toxicity to normal tiss...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.532457
更新日期:2020-08-28 00:00:00
abstract::Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent types of cancer worldwide with high morbidity and mortality rates. Treatment modalities include systemic therapy, in which chemotherapy is a major component in many cases. Several chemotherapeutic agents are used in combinations or as single agents with many adverse even...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00445
更新日期:2020-04-15 00:00:00
abstract::Using pharmacogenetics in guiding drug therapy experiences a steady increase in uptake, although still leads to discussions as to its clinical use. Psychiatry constitutes a field where pharmacogenomic testing might help in guiding drug therapy. To address current challenges, this minireview provides an update regardin...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.575540
更新日期:2020-09-11 00:00:00
abstract::Repeat expansion mutations in the C9ORF72 gene are the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat-associated non-AUG translation of this expansion produces dipeptide repeat proteins (DRPs). The arginine containing DRPs, polyGR and polyPR, are consistently...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.569661
更新日期:2020-09-08 00:00:00
abstract:PURPOSE:Hydrogen is a proven novel antioxidant that selectively reduces hydroxyl radicals. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich saline solution on the prevention of renal injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and on renal function recovery. METHODS:A rat model of renal I/R injury was indu...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2016.00106
更新日期:2016-04-22 00:00:00
abstract:Objective:Current prevention and/or treatment options for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are limited as no vaccine is available. Prophylaxis with palivizumab is very expensive and requires multiple intramuscular injections over the RSV season. Here we present proof-of-concept data using nebulized palivizu...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.01291
更新日期:2020-08-19 00:00:00
abstract::Chronic pain is a common detrimental condition that affects around 20% of the world population. The current drugs to treat chronic pain states, especially neuropathic pain, have a limited clinical efficiency and present significant adverse effects that complicates their regular use. Recent studies have proposed new th...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00167
更新日期:2020-03-03 00:00:00
abstract::Over the last decade, several studies demonstrated that prenylation of flavonoids enhances various biological activities as compared to the respective nonprenylated compounds. In line with this, the natural prenylated isoflavonoid alpinumisoflavone (AIF) has been explored for a number of biological and pharmacological...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00952
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abstract::Over recent years, utilization of green synthesized nanomaterials has been widely growing on human body because of its special properties. With the increasing acceptance of nanoparticle approach for various clinical treatments, the biosafety and toxicological effects on the vital organs such as central nervous system,...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00549
更新日期:2018-05-23 00:00:00
abstract::Phytoestrogen has been proposed as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, which has been demonstrated to promote a high risk of breast cancer. However, the effect of phytoestrogen on breast cancer development has not been fully understood. Bakuchiol is an active ingredient of a traditional Chinese herbal medic...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2016.00128
更新日期:2016-05-24 00:00:00
abstract::This article highlights several refractory oral diseases, such as stomatitis, burning mouth syndrome (BMS), glossalgia, atypical facial pain (AFP), oral cancer, dry mouth, and Sjögren's syndrome (SJS), in which use of Japanese herbal medicines, Kampo medicines (KM), on the basis of Kampo theory could exert the maximum...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.3389/fphar.2015.00176
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abstract::Immune cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage are characterized by their diversity, plasticity, and variety of functions. Among them, macrophages play a central role in antiviral responses, tissue repair, and fibrosis. Macrophages can be reprogrammed by environmental cues, thus changing their phenotype during an ant...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.577571
更新日期:2020-10-29 00:00:00
abstract::Convolvulus prostratus Forssk., a nootropic herb used in traditional medicinal systems, is also frequently known by its taxonomic synonym Convolvulus pluricaulis. In Indian medicinal system - Ayurveda - it is named as Shankhpushpi. According to the ancient literature, this herb has been attributed with several therape...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00171
更新日期:2020-03-03 00:00:00
abstract::Background: Xuebijing injection (XBJ), transforming from Xuefuzhuyu decoction, is the only Chinese medicine injection approved for sepsis. XBJ and ulinastatin (UTI) combination therapy is supposed to be beneficial for sepsis patients. To fill the gap between the lack of evidence for the efficacy of combination therapy...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00743
更新日期:2018-07-24 00:00:00
abstract::To date, there are no specific therapeutic strategies for treatment of COVID-19. Based on the hypothesis that complement and coagulation cascades are activated by viral infection, and might trigger an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), we report clinical outcomes of 17 consecutive cases of SARS-CoV-2-related ...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00857
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abstract::The pathological superoxidative condition that retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells experience contributed to the advancement of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which was accompanied by significant neovascularization. Therefore, the discovery of novel pharmacological candidates to ameliorate oxidative damage...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00240
更新日期:2018-03-20 00:00:00
abstract::Over 1 million cases of scorpion stings are estimated every year, whereas current treatment is limited to antivenom serum combined with supportive therapy. Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom (TsV) is composed of diverse molecules, including toxins that induce a catecholamine storm and mediate classical symptoms of scorp...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00171
更新日期:2019-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that is primarily characterized by synovial inflammation. In this study, we found that a traditional Chinese decoction, Juanbi-Tang (JBT), JBT attenuated the symptoms of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice and in tumor necrosis factor transgenic (TNF-Tg) mice...
journal_title:Frontiers in pharmacology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00045
更新日期:2020-02-14 00:00:00