Scorpion Venom May Provide the Next Breast Cancer Breakthrough

– credit Marino Linic

Scientists in Brazil are currently testing to see if the venom of an Amazonian scorpion could be used to poison breast cancer tumors.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP) have long worked to clone and express proteins from rattlesnake and scorpion venom with hopes of transforming these powerful compounds into medicines.

Recently, their work identified that venom of the scorpion Brotheas amazonicus appears to attack breast cancer cells in a way similar to a widely used chemotherapy medication.

These early findings were generated through a collaboration with scientists from the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and the Amazonas State University (UEA).

“Through bioprospecting, we were able to identify a molecule in the species of this Amazonian scorpion that is similar to that found in the venoms of other scorpions and that acts against breast cancer cells,” said Eliane Candiani Arantes, a professor at FCFRP-USP and the coordinator of the project.

Arantes and her team identified two neurotoxins in scorpion venom with immunosuppressive effects. Working with collaborators at INPA and UEA, they found a peptide named BamazScplp1 in the venom of Brotheas amazonicus that appears to have anti-tumor potential.

Laboratory tests showed that the peptide’s impact on breast cancer cells was comparable to paclitaxel, a commonly prescribed chemotherapy treatment. It primarily triggers necrosis, a form of cell death previously associated with molecules from other scorpion species.

Arantes and her team have isolated other components of venoms from scorpions and from snakes that have been used to help develop other clinical applications, including an internal wound sealant that mimics the body’s natural clotting and scaffolding processes. It’s undergoing trials for use in nerve repair, bone healing, and restoring movement following spinal cord injury.Next time you see a scorpion, and think it a nasty creepy crawly that will send you to the hospital, show a bit of grace; they might help save a woman’s life some day. Scorpion Venom May Provide the Next Breast Cancer Breakthrough

Read More........→December 05, 2025

Australia leads first human trial of one-time gene editing therapy to halve bad cholesterol

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Melbourne, November 10 (IANS): Researchers in Australia have led a first-in-human trial for a breakthrough gene-editing therapy that halves bad cholesterol and triglycerides in people with difficult-to-treat lipid disorders.

The trial tested CTX310, a one-time CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing therapy that uses fat-based particles to carry CRISPR editing tools into the liver, switching off the ANGPTL3 gene. Turning off this gene lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, two blood fats linked to heart disease, according to a statement released Monday by Australia's Monash University.

The Victorian Heart Hospital, operated by Monash Health in partnership with Monash University, treated three of 15 patients aged 18-75 years with difficult-to-treat lipid disorders in phase 1 of the global trial conducted across Australia, New Zealand, and Britain, the statement said, Xinhua news agency reported.

At the highest dose, a single-course treatment with CTX310 resulted in a mean reduction of LDL cholesterol by 50 per cent and triglycerides by 55 per cent, remaining low for at least 60 days after two weeks of treatment, it said, adding LDL cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced by nearly 60 per cent among all participants with various doses, with only mild, short-term side effects reported.

Importantly, CTX310 is the first therapy to achieve large reductions in both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides at the same time, marking a potential breakthrough for people with mixed lipid disorders who have elevations in both, according to the trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"The possibility of a single-course treatment with lasting effects could be a major step in how we prevent heart disease," said Stephen Nicholls, Director of the Victorian Heart Hospital, and study lead investigator."It makes treatment easier, reduces ongoing costs, relieves pressure on the health system, all while improving a person's quality of life," Nicholls said, emphasising plans to focus on larger and more diverse patient populations in future trials of CTX310. Australia leads first human trial of one-time gene editing therapy to halve bad cholesterol | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→December 04, 2025