Scorpion Tales

From snakes and spiders to scorpions and stonefish, venomous animals are generally regarded with fear, yet their potent chemical weapons, able to target biochemical pathways effectively and specifically, provide a wealth of inspiration for biomedical research. Following an ancient history of traditional uses, venoms were first harnessed by modern medicine in captopril, a hypertension drug based on pit viper venom. Now, research on scorpions highlights the potential for uncovering new promising compounds, with a range of applications. Chlorotoxin, identified in the venom of the deathstalker scorpion (pictured), can bind cells of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, and is being studied as a tool for imaging and targeting tumours for treatment. Other scorpion peptides, shown to accumulate in cartilage in rodents, could offer solutions for more localised delivery of steroids to the joints, to better treat rheumatoid arthritis. With renewed interest in venoms for drug development, further discoveries could follow.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Emmanuelle Briolat

Writer

A researcher specialising in visual signals in Lepidoptera, camouflage and the effects of light pollution, Emmanuelle’s writing covers a range of topics, from biomedical research to children’s books about moth defences.

Website

• Image by מינוזיג on Wikimedia Commons
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Research from City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA , USA:Wang et al, Science Translational Medicine, Mar 2020
• Research from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA:Cook Sangar & Girard, et al, Science Translational Medicine, Mar 2020