Amazon scorpion venom kills malignant cells

Although thought to be highly toxic, Amazon scorpion venom contains peptides that can 'hunt down' and destroy breast cancer cells.

Scientists at the University of São Paulo's Ribeirão Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP) in Brazil have identified a peptide in the venom of the Brotheas amazonicus scorpion found in the Amazon rainforest that can kill breast cancer cells. Photo: CC0 Public Domain.

Preliminary results of the study were carried out in collaboration with experts at the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) and the State University of Amazonas (UEA). Photo: Sinhyu/iStock/Getty Images Plus.

Professor Eliane Candiani Arantes at the University of São Paulo said the research team used bioprospecting methods to examine more than a hundred molecules in the venom of the scorpion Brotheas amazonicus. Photo: Pedro Ferreira Bisneto.

Research results revealed that a peptide called BamazScplp1 from the scorpion Brotheas amazonicus has the ability to cause breast cancer cell necrosis, a mechanism similar to many chemotherapeutic drugs but in a more selective way and with potentially fewer side effects. Photo: Rogério Gribel.

Instead of triggering a self-destruct program, BamazScplp1 from the scorpion Brotheas amazonicus causes cancer cells to “break apart,” releasing fragments that can be easily recognized and processed by the immune system. Photo: Fábio Olmos.

Thanks to this necrotic property, cancer cells do not have time to activate their endogenous resistance mechanism, which is the main cause of failure when treated with some current chemotherapy drugs. Photo: Rodrigo Tinoco.

The team identified the gene encoding the serinoprotease enzyme responsible for producing BamazScplp1 from the scorpion Brotheas amazonicus. Instead of harvesting venom directly from scorpions, which is difficult to do on an industrial scale, the scientists used a heterologous expression method. They inserted the protein-making gene into Pichia pastoris yeast cells to produce the peptide in large quantities in the lab. Photo: Sandro Rod e Mor.

Pichia pastoris is a yeast species widely used in genetic engineering due to its high ability to express foreign proteins, low culture costs, and easy collection of fermentation products. After transferring the BamazScplp1 gene into yeast, the research team obtained a peptide with high purity, meeting the testing standards. Initial results showed that BamazScplp1 still maintained cancer cell necrosis activity, equivalent to the directly extracted peptide sample. Photo: Rogério Gribel.

In parallel with scorpion venom peptides, Brazilian scientists at the USP Center for Venom and Venomous Animal Research (CEVAP) have developed a bio-gel from snake venom combined with fibrinogen-rich cryoprecipitate. This product is in phase III clinical trials for use in nerve regeneration, bone trauma, and spinal cord injury. Photo: bhaovivo.

Professor Arantes said that simultaneously exploiting multiple enzymes and peptides from different venom sources could allow the synthesis of a new generation of “bio-super glue” that both promotes wound healing and inhibits cancer cells in the damaged area. Photo: Divulgacao/Thiago G. Carvalho.

Readers are invited to watch the video : Discovering many new species in the Mekong River Region. Source: THĐT1.

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