Could venom-derived therapeutics resolve treatment resistance in refractory EAC?

  Could venom-derived therapeutics resolve treatment resistance in refractory EAC? Abstract The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is rising in Western countries. Despite advances in chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the prognosis remains poor, with an overall 5-year survival rate below 15%. A major challenge is the cancer’s poor and often unpredictable response to current treatments. Animal venoms represent a promising yet underexplored source of therapeutic agents, offering millions of structurally diverse and highly potent bioactive peptides that can modulate a wide array of molecular targets. However, only a small fraction of these peptides has been pharmacologically characterized. This review presents the therapeutic potential of venom-derived peptides in cancer treatment, summarizes the role of ion channels in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), and discusses peptides targeting ion channels that may offer new opportunities for future EAC treatment. Freuville L, Matthys C, Gill...

Two new species in the spider genus Nanometa (Araneae: Tetragnathidae: Nanometinae) from Tasmania

 


Two new species in the spider genus Nanometa (Araneae: Tetragnathidae: Nanometinae) from Tasmania

Two new species in the orb-weaving spider genus Nanometa Simon, 1908 are described, N. ilanejzykowiczi sp. nov. and N. cerastes sp. nov. (family Tetragnathidae Menge, 1866), elevating the number of described Australian species to eight. Both new species have so far only been recorded from Hartz Mountains National Park, southern Tasmania, at about 1,200 metres a.s.l., where two other species, N. tasmaniensis Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 and N. tetracaena Álvarez-Padilla, Kallal & Hormiga, 2020 also occur.

Castanheira PdS, Rossi GdF & Baptista RLC (2023). Two new species in the spider genus Nanometa (Araneae: Tetragnathidae: Nanometinae) from Tasmania. Australian Journal of Taxonomy 38: 1–8. doi: https://doi.org/10.54102/ajt.gcxtp