Medicines from Venom – How Deadly Poisons Become Life-Saving Drugs 🐍

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:backhand_index_pointing_right:Venom is usually something we fear — from snakes, spiders, scorpions, or even sea creatures. But modern science has discovered that inside these deadly toxins are tiny proteins and chemicals that can be turned into powerful medicines.

:backhand_index_pointing_right:Why venom works in medicine:
:small_blue_diamond:Venoms evolved to act very fast and very precisely — they can block pain, stop blood from clotting, paralyze prey, or affect the heart in seconds. This precision makes them a goldmine for drug discovery.

:backhand_index_pointing_right:Some famous drugs made from venom:

:small_blue_diamond:Captopril – Developed from Brazilian pit viper venom; treats high blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.

:small_blue_diamond:Eptifibatide – Inspired by rattlesnake venom; prevents dangerous blood clots during heart surgery or heart attacks.

:small_blue_diamond:Tirofiban – From saw-scaled viper venom; used in heart disease to prevent platelets from clumping.

:small_blue_diamond:Ziconotide – Based on cone snail venom; treats severe chronic pain (much stronger than morphine, but without addiction risk).

:small_blue_diamond:Exenatide – From Gila monster saliva; helps control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes.

:backhand_index_pointing_right:Ongoing research:
Scientists are exploring venoms from tarantulas for new painkillers, scorpions for brain tumor targeting, and even wasps for cancer therapy.

:small_blue_diamond:Fun fact: Out of 220,000 venomous animal species, only a tiny fraction has been studied for medicine — meaning the future of “venom drugs” is just beginning.

:light_bulb: Nature’s deadliest weapons can become humanity’s best allies — all it takes is the right dose, the right target, and a lot of science.

MBH/PS

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Informative.

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New topic to me, thanks for sharing.

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Thanks for the information

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Thanks for sharing this it is informative.

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Venom is a poisonous but works as medicine venom work fast they can stop the blood clot pain

The drugs like captopril, exenatide effectively used to prevent the blood clot and type 2 diabetes and also scientist promises for exploring new pain killer and scorpios for brain tumour and also for cancer therapy

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What’s dangerous in nature can be lifesaving in medicine when studied and used in the right way.

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It’s fascinating how something as dangerous as venom can be transformed into life-saving medicines. The fact that drugs for blood pressure, pain relief, and even diabetes have come from venom just shows how much potential nature holds for medical breakthroughs.

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Informative :grinning_face:, thanks for sharing

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Thanks for Sharing this information

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Venom is proof that nature’s most dangerous tools can also be its most generous gifts. What once inspired fear can, with the right insight, become a source of healing. As science unlocks more of venom’s secrets, we’re reminded that cures can hide in the most unexpected places and sometimes, the difference between poison and medicine is simply how we use it.

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Really fascinating read! It’s amazing how venom, something so deadly, can be turned into life-saving medicine.

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Fascinating; nature’s poisons used wisely can turn into life-saving medicines - proof that even the deadliest things can have a healing side.

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Ayurveda recognised this principle centuries ago — the idea that “poison in small doses can be medicine, and medicine in excess can become poison”.

Ancient texts describe Visha chikitsa (toxicology) and even methods of using purified poisons for healing, showing how timeless this concept really is.
Modern venom research feels like science rediscovering an old truth.

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Well explained! Thanks for sharing.

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Venom research is one of the rapidly growing fields now. A very unique aspect of these venom-derived drugs is, their ability to mimic/block specific biological pathways with utmost precision and often targeting receptors that standard/traditional drugs cannot easily reach. This makes the drugs so invaluable for treating many complex diseases like Cancer and autoimmune disorders. In addition, venom peptides are highly stable and also resistant to breakdown and this is the reason behind the drug’s longer-lasting effects. However, sometimes difficulties occur while extracting the venom and the entire process has a high production cost. In future, the utilization of AI can successfully design synthetic venom molecules and this will totally transform the process of drug development in this case.

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This side of venom is amazing. Venom is dangerous but can be saviour too.

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Informative!

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Nature’s poisons can be life’s cures. :snake::spider::scorpion: From blood pressure control to chronic pain relief, venoms are proving to be precision tools in modern medicine.

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Fascinating how something so deadly can be transformed into a life saving breakthrough. Nature truly holds both danger and healing in the same hands .

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