A New Species of Scorpio from Saudi Arabia (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae)

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  A New Species of Scorpio from Saudi Arabia (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae)  Abstract A new species of  Scorpio  Linnaeus, 1758 is described from Al Ula Governorate, Al Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia.  Scorpio furvus  sp. nov. is distinguished from closely related congeners, including  S. fuscus ,  S. kruglovi ,  S. palmatus ,  S. jordanensis , and  S. yemenensis , by a unique combination of morphological characters notably the granulation pattern of the pedipalp chela, metasomal proportions, pectinal structure and length, and overall dark coloration. Morphometric comparisons further support its distinct status. The discovery of this species highlights the underestimated diversity of the genus  Scorpio  in the Arabian Peninsula and reinforces the view that the  Scorpio maurus  complex comprises multiple geographically restricted taxa requiring continued integrative taxonomic investigation. Aloufi, A., Afifeh, B. A., ...

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