Disintegrins obtained from snake venom and their pharmacological potential

Disintegrins are low molecular weight proteins (4-15 kDa) found in the venom of some snake species, these proteins act as integrin inhibitors. Integrins are membrane cell surface receptors formed by α-β subunits. These integrins modulate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. β1 and β3 integrins play important roles in angiogenesis and metastatic processes, suggesting that disintegrins may have utility in the development of new anticancer therapies. This review aims to show recent advances in disintegrin research and the evaluation of their biological activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies.