ncbi.nih.gov). Some proteins isolated from this venom are candidates for studying anti-tumor activity, such as the hyaluronidades and the phospholipases. Two hyaluronidases, named lonogliases, have been identified from L. obliqua venom ( Gouveia

et al., 2005). These molecules could be of great interest, since IDH inhibitor it has been reported that some hyaluronidases may affect cancer cell growth as well as tumor invasion; thus, they bear a potential as tools in cancer cell biology studies ( Csoka et al., 2001 and Matsushita and Okabi, 2001) and in the pharmaceutical industry ( Menzel and Farr, 1998 and Smith et al., 1997). The phospholipases A2 (PLA2) hydrolize the sn-2 bond in phospholipids, generating fatty acids and lysophospholipids; the so-formed lysophospholipids selleck screening library affect the lipid bilayer of cell membranes, leading to cell lysis, while the generated arachidonic acid promotes the activation of caspases and release of cytochrome c, culminating in apoptosis in some

types of cells (Taketo and Sonoshita, 2002 and Zhao et al., 2002). The PLA2 purified from L. obliqua venom also showed a potent indirect hemolytic activity upon human erythrocytes, indicating that this enzyme may be involved in the intravascular hemolysis observed in the envenomed patients ( Seibert et al., 2006). Our group has been studying the Amino acid effects of L. obliqua crude venom extract upon the viability and proliferation of tumor cells. Our results have shown, so far, that treatment with the venom causes a significant increase in the proliferation of some cell lines and decreased of proliferation in other (unpublished data, personal communication). L. obliqua venom is composed of a variety of molecules

that may be acting in different ways on these cell lines. Other cell lines are being employed in our experimental model, as well as purified fractions of the venom, in order to better understand not only the effects of the venom, but also the pathways through which the venom acts on cell viability and proliferation. Animal venoms have been evolving along with the defense mechanisms presented by their enemies and preys, in a quick and effective manner, thus providing both defense against predators as well as prey capture, which resulted in a large repertoire of molecules that bind to specific targets. The possibility of using these molecules in biotechnological processes leads us to expect that these venoms and toxins are one of the most promising sources of natural bioactive compounds. Studies with animal toxins have contributed significantly to the development of Biomedical Sciences.