Envenomation incapacitates the snake’s prey by interfering with specific aspects of physiological function such as nerve transmission and hemostasis. Since the action of venom components is highly specific, many venom components may also have the potential of being employed pharmaceutically. Viper venom affects predominantly aspects of the coagulation pathway. The conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin is a central part of the coagulation and clotting mechanism and hence another project in the lab is focusing on the isolation of proteases capable of altering or degrading fibrinogen and on the modulation of their proteolytic activity by small molecules and phytochemicals.
