Research Suggests Amazon Scorpion Venom Could Aid Breast Cancer Treatment
Preliminary findings shared at the FAPESP Week France health conference indicate that the venom from an Amazon rainforest scorpion, known as Brotheas amazonicus, might play a role in breast cancer treatment.
With an aging global population and increased exposure to pollutants, rising cancer rates, dementia, and other health issues are becoming more apparent. In light of this, researchers are exploring some pretty unexpected sources for treatment possibilities—like the tail of a scorpion.
A group of Brazilian researchers has been inserting genes of interest into the DNA of a ‘factory’ organism. This allows them to produce and test proteins found in scorpion venom for various medical applications.
According to pharmacologist Eliane Candiani Arantes from the University of São Paulo, “We identified a molecule in this Amazonian scorpion that resembles those found in the venoms of other scorpions and has effects against breast cancer cells.”
The molecule, named BamazScplp1, functions similarly to chemotherapy drugs by triggering necrosis in breast cancer cells, leading to their rupture.
While it’s still early days for this treatment research, the scientists also discovered a molecule promoting blood vessel growth derived from snake venom and a blood component from cattle. Arantes notes that this growth factor helps in forming new vessels, with potential for large-scale industrial production through heterologous expression.
This heterologous expression method allows researchers to produce and analyze bioactive molecules at scale, facilitating a better understanding of their functions. In this instance, Arantes and her team utilized a specific yeast species, Komagataella pastoris, as their molecular factory.
You know, using these innovative techniques might help uncover more of nature’s unexplored remedies, assuming we manage to preserve these resources.
Abraham Katsman