Gira’s monster biting is so poisonous that it hurts humans, but what’s hidden within its toxic cocktail is a life-changing discovery. It is the basis of modern GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Wegoby. Currently widely used to treat diabetes and obesity, these drugs owes its presence to a key component of lizard venom. Science warning It has been reported.
At the end of the 20th century, endocrinologist Daniel Drucker was looking for a hormone that could mimic the appetite suppression and regulating blood glucose, without being too fast in the body. His research led him to the work of endocrinologists John Eng and Jean Pierre Raufmann, and biochemist John Pisano identified a Gila Monster-venom protein similar to human GLP-1. .
Drucker and his team at the University of Toronto obtained the Gila Monster from the Utah Zoo breeding program for further research. Their research confirmed that the unique genetics of lizards produced Exendin-4, a protein that closely reflects GLP-1, but has been active in the body for a much longer period of time. This discovery ultimately led to a synthetic version, which became an FDA-approved treatment for type 2 diabetes in 2005, and then expanded to obesity management.
The Gira Monster is not the only creature that has borrowed its chemical weapons to modern medicine. Throughout history, scientists have used the most powerful toxins in nature to develop life-saving drugs.
Lisinopril, one of the world’s best-selling drugs, comes from the unexpected source of Brazilian viper poison (Bothrops jararaca). Unlike the false promise of “snake oil,” this poison-derived enzyme inhibitor effectively lowers blood pressure, treats heart failure, and prevents the body from contracting blood vessels strongly, resulting in an inducing heart attack. AIDS survivors.
Ancient sea sponges also contribute to modern treatments. Caribbean sponge (Tectitetethya crypto) produces aberrant nucleosides that help protect it from foreign DNA introduced through filter feeding. These compounds have influenced cytarabine, a chemotherapy drug currently on the WHO list of essential drugs because of its efficacy against leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Even Scorpion Venom has brought about groundbreaking medical advances. In 2004, oncologist Jim Olson got frustrated after undergoing a rigorous 14-hour operation to remove a brain tumor from a teenage girl and find out what her thumb sized area was. Determined to find a better way, he and his team scrutinized a newly assembled DNA database for molecules that could illuminate cancer cells during surgery. In just a few weeks, they are a perfect candidate, the peptide from the poison of chlorotoxin, the death stalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus). This compound can specifically bind to brain tumor cells and develop tozurelistide, a near-infrared fluorescent dye that researchers emphasize even the smallest cancerous clusters.
From venom-derived diabetes treatments to cancer-fighting scorpeptides, it has repeatedly proven that medical goldmine is the deadliest substance in nature. These findings remind us that solutions to some of our most pressing health challenges may be hidden in the wild if we are willing to look for them. However, the survival of these species and their ecosystems is important. As we continue to explore natural pharmacies, protecting biodiversity could mean protecting future cures.
