The application of toxins and venoms to cardiovascular drug discovery.

Animal venoms contain a variety of highly selective and potent toxins, which have evolved over thousands/millions of years, which target vital physiological processes. As such, they have proven to be an excellent source of lead compounds for the development of therapeutic agents. In particular, a number of these venom components (e.g. bradykinin-potentiating peptides, sarafotoxins, natriuretic peptides) have profound effects on the cardiovascular system. This review article examines recent progress in the search for lead compounds or novel scaffolds for cardiovascular drug development from animal venoms.