Snake venom phospholipases A2: a new class of antitumor agents.

Phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)) are enzymes of high medical scientific interest due to their involvement in a large number of human inflammatory diseases. PLA(2) constitute a diverse family of enzymes which catalyses the hydrolysis of the sn-2 ester bond in glycerophospholipids and exhibit a wide range of physiological and pathological effects. The ubiquitous nature of PLA(2) highlights the important role they play in many biological processes, as cell signaling and cell growth, including the generation of proinflammatory lipid mediators such as prostaglandin and leukotrienes, regulation of lipid mediators.