Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation

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  Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation Abstract Snake venom is a complex and dynamic ecological trait, with high potential for intraspecific variation. In this study, the venom composition of the Iberian adder ( Vipera seoanei ) from the Peneda Mountains of northern Portugal was investigated to explore whether venom varies with body size and sex. Venom proteomes from six individuals representing juvenile, subadult, and adult males and females were characterised using LC–MS/MS, while individual variation was assessed from SDS–PAGE profiles of 18 snakes. LC–MS/MS identified 144 proteins, dominated by phospholipases A 2 (PLA 2 ), snake venom serine proteases (svSP), and C-type lectin-related proteins (CTL). Descriptive comparisons revealed contrasting individual profiles, particularly between the juvenile male, characterised by high svSP and svMP abundance, and the juvenile female, characterised by high ...

Harnessing the potency of scorpion venom-derived proteins: applications in cancer therapy

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Harnessing the potency of scorpion venom-derived proteins: applications in cancer therapy

Abstract

Despite breakthroughs in the development of cancer diagnosis and therapy, most current therapeutic approaches lack precise specificity and sensitivity, resulting in damage to healthy cells. Selective delivery of anti-cancer agents is thus an important goal of cancer therapy. Scorpion venom (SV) and/or body parts have been used since early civilizations for medicinal purposes, and in cultures, SV is still applied to the treatment of several diseases including cancer. SV contains numerous active micro and macromolecules with diverse pharmacological effects. These include potent anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. This review focuses on the recent advances of SV-derived peptides as promising anti-cancer agents and their diagnostic and therapeutic potential applications in cancers such as glioma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. Well-characterized SV-derived peptides are thus needed to serve as potent and selective adjuvant therapy for cancer, to significantly enhance the patients’ survival and wellbeing.


El-Qassas, J., Abd El-Atti, M. & El-Badri, N. Harnessing the potency of scorpion venom-derived proteins: applications in cancer therapy. Bioresour. Bioprocess. 11, 93 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40643-024-00805-0