Evaluation of the induction of wound healing by vascular endothelial growth factor from the snake venom Crotalus durissus terrificus (CdtVEGF)

• Grant number: 24/21934-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Toxicology
• Principal Investigator: Isadora Sousa de Oliveira
• Grantee: Emilly Regina Ramos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Toxins from venomous animals, such as snakes, are of great pharmacological interest. Snakes are a global problem, with poisoning cases affecting around 1.8 to 2.7 million people worldwide, causing between 81,000 to 138,000 deaths every year. In Brazil, although accidents caused by snakes of the Bothrops genus are more frequent, those of the Crotalus genus have a higher mortality rate. The venom of the species Crotalus durissus terrificus is mainly composed of proteins, with crotoxin being the most abundant, making up 75% of the total protein content. In smaller amounts, proteins such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which accounts for 2% of the total proteins, are also found. VEGF acts on the vascular system, potentially increasing vascular permeability and promoting angiogenesis, which physiologically helps in the dissemination of factors that aid in wound healing. There are studies in which snake venom VEGFs (svVEGF) have already been purified and characterized, including that of Crotalus durissus terrificus (CdtVEGF), which induced angiogenesis and cell migration in an in vitro wound healing model and increased vascular permeability in an in vivo model. Therefore, this project aims to isolate CdtVEGF using chromatographic methods and evaluate its effects on wound healing in an animal model, as well as analyze the different cells, proteins, and cytokines recruited in the tissue according to treatment with CdtVEGF. This study will contribute to expanding the knowledge of this protein's action, promoting the development of new drugs.