2 Feisty Creatures With Potentially ‘Therapeutic’ Venoms—Just Don’t Go Looking To Be Bit

Venom is a specialized secretion used by various animals, including snakes, bees, wasps, spiders, scorpions and many other creatures, as a means of defense and to capture and digest prey. It is a complex mixture of toxins that includes enzymes, proteins, peptides and other bioactive molecules. These components can have a range of effects, from paralyzing the nervous system to breaking down cells and tissues.

It isn’t to be confused with poison, which is also a defense mechanism used by some life forms like toads, frogs, insects and some plants. While poison is primarily delivered via ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin, venom is only toxic when injected into a wound created by a specialized appendage on the venomous creature’s body—like the fangs of a snake or the stinger of a scorpion.

“Poison has very small chemical molecules that can easily pass through your skin. The molecules of venom are too big to be absorbed, so they have to be injected,” explains Dr. Ronald Jenner, venom evolution expert at London’s Natural History Museum.

This means, theoretically, you can drink the venom of an inland taipan, arguably the most venomous snake on the planet, and have no signs of envenomation. Don’t do it, though, because even the slightest bruise, cut or ulcer in your digestive system could allow the large molecules to seep through into your bloodstream.

Venomous snakes and hornets evoke fear in many, and for good reason. Their bites or stings can cause severe pain, significant tissue damage or even death. While getting bit or stung by one in the wild is likely going to ruin your day, when isolated and used in controlled medical settings, the components found in their venom potentially offers treatment for a range of ailments.

Here is a defensive snake and a menacing hornet whose venoms have the potential to aid in the treatment of certain medical conditions.

1. The Brazilian Pit Viper, Which Helped Us Tackle Hypertension

In the 1980s, scientists discovered something amazing about the venom from the Brazilian pit viper: it could help lower high blood pressure. The venom contains a peptide that stops a specific enzyme—angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)— in our bodies from working too hard. This enzyme usually helps regulate our blood pressure by tightening our blood vessels. When the enzyme is blocked, our blood vessels relax and our blood pressure goes down.

The isolation of this peptide paved the way for the synthesis of captopril, the first of the “ACE inhibitor” class of drugs. Captopril mimics the action of the natural peptide found in the viper’s venom but is designed to be safer and more effective for human use. This development was revolutionary, offering a new, highly effective treatment option for managing hypertension and heart failure, conditions that affect millions worldwide.

As for the snake itself, the Brazilian pit viper or “jararaca” is often treated with a mix of respect and fear due to its dangerous potential. Despite its crucial role in pioneering medical treatments, local populations in its native habitat—which includes forested regions, farmland and even urban dwellings in southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina—approach it cautiously.

This wariness is well-founded; the snake’s venom can cause severe swelling, pain, and even fatal hemorrhaging if a bite is not treated promptly with the appropriate antivenom.

2. Vespa magnifica Venom Could Be ‘Neuroprotective’

The Vespa magnifica, a subspecies of the Asian giant hornet, has venom that has traditionally been used in East Asian medicine to treat arthritis. But a January 2022 study published in Communications Biology found that Vespakinin-M, a peptide in this venom, could be neuroprotective. Neuroprotective means it helps preserve nerve cells from damage or degeneration, which is crucial in conditions like stroke.

Research on mice, simulating human strokes, discovered that Vespakinin-M significantly improved recovery. It reduced brain damage in the mice, maintained the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, and decreased inflammation and oxidative stress, which can worsen neurological damage.

These promising results suggest potential for Vespakinin-M as a stroke treatment, pending further research and clinical trials to confirm safety and effectiveness in humans.

While its venom is potentially beneficial in controlled medical settings, the species in the wild also poses dangers. They are known for their aggressive behavior toward bees (earning them the nickname “murder hornet”) and a powerful sting. Encounters with this hornet can lead to severe pain, allergic reactions, and, in extreme cases where several attack relentlessly, death due to anaphylactic shock. The venom’s potency and the hornet’s tendency to defend its nest fiercely make it a creature to be approached with caution.

While the venoms of some creatures hold promise for groundbreaking medical treatments, their dangerous nature reminds us to handle them with respect. Continued research into these natural substances could unlock even more therapeutic potentials, highlighting the dual nature of venom as both a peril and a potential medical boon.