biotechnological research based on venomous animals: health

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH BASED ON VENOMOUS ANIMALS: HEALTH PROBLEM AND THERAPEUTIC PROSPECTS: Hammoudi­Triki Djelila, Chérifi Fatah, Oussedik­Oumehdi Habiba, Boukhalfa­Abib Hinda, Boussag­Abib Lila, Adi­Bessalem Sonia, Mendil Amina and *Laraba­Djebari Fatima Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, BP 32, El –Alia Bab Ezzouar, 16111, Alger, Algérie
Laboratoire de Recherche et de Développement sur les Venins, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie
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Corresponding Author: E­mail: [email protected]/[email protected]; Fax: (+) 213 21 60 33 77
ABSTRACT
Biodiversity offered great source of bioactive components. These actives molecules may cause lethal effects but may also contribute as therapeutic tools when well characterized and used correctly. These benefit tools became an important challenge for many scientists. Animal secretions, mainly scorpions and snake venoms which are richest sources of bioactive components, have a potent role in the treatment of human diseases. Some of these components are already used in the production of drugs in diverse physiological process. Many of these components present natural effects directed against the haemostatic pathophysiological events, cancer, fungi, bacteria and many other systems. These venom compounds are increasingly used in biomedical research and for diagnostic or/and therapeutic. The nature of anticoagulant or coagulant properties of venoms makes them useful for studying haemostatic mechanisms.
Our team, focus on two venomous animal species, snakes and scorpions, which are health problem in several countries. In Algeria, snake and scorpion envenoming, caused the majority of lethal accidents. The most serious consequences of these accidents are the cardiopulmonary dysfunction, edema which represents the principal cause of death. Research on venoms is based prior to their two facets i) Decrease of unacceptable high death rates due to snakebite or scorpion stings by setting correct diagnosis and an efficient treatment ii) Characterization of pharmacological properties of their components that may serve as a value in various therapeutic applications. Based on their specific activities, some components are already purified and characterized as potent tools to detect haemostatic disturbances, deficiencies of a clotting factor. They could have a wide range of biotechnological and pharmacological applications. On the other hand, many other approaches are undertaken to understand and to optimize the treatment of this health problem: (i) Understanding the mechanism of the pathophysiological effects induced by the animal secretions (ii) Optimization and development of Fast Immuno­detection Test (iii) Development of new therapeutic treatment in envenomed cases: Association of immunotherapy with new drug (iiii) Development of vaccine­therapeutic strategy. The comprehension of the multi­faced roles of these venoms and their components can help to better understand and treat the envenomed patients and also open new perspectives for therapeutic and biotechnological approaches.
Key words: Venoms, bioressources, bioactive molecules, diagnosis, immunotherapy, vaccinotherapy.
*www.lbcm.usthb.dz: Team 2