L-amino acid oxidases from snake venom: A review of their anticancer mechanisms and translational potential

L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) is primarily a flavoprotein that has been identified in the crude venom of various snake species worldwide and has gained significant attention in the biotechnology and pharmacology fields for its potential in developing novel anticancer agents. The primary pharmacological mechanism of L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) involves the oxidative deamination of L-amino acids, resulting in the production of α-keto acids, with the release of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide as byproducts in the reaction. The generation of Hydrogen peroxide plays a major role in inducing oxidative stress, which leads to cancer cell death. L-amino acid oxidases (LAAO), which include ACTX-8 and ACTX-6, have been shown to produce anticancer activity through pharmacological mechanisms that include DNA fragmentation. This review highlights the various aspects of L-amino acid oxidase by critically analyzing their structural and enzymatic characteristics, and evaluates their anticancer potential with a special focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying their therapeutic potential.