Antitumor activity of scorpion venom-derived peptides: A meta-analysis of preclinical studies

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  Antitumor activity of scorpion venom-derived peptides: A meta-analysis of preclinical studies Abstract Despite advances in cancer therapeutics, there are still challenges in improving drug toxicity and selectivity. Peptides from various venous species have recently garnered attention for their biopharmaceutical potential, particularly in cancer. The present study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of the antitumor activity of scorpion venom-derived peptides (SVDPs) previously reported in preclinical models. The bibliographic research included original and review articles written in English published from 2015 to 2026. Studies within the scope were retrieved from the EBSCO Discovery Service, PubMed, and WIPO databases. A total of 27 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in this research, and the collected data were synthesized through a meta-analysis. In the included in vitro and in vivo studies, the effect of SVDPs on breast/mammary gland, cervical,...

Extinct scorpion family Chaerilobuthidae from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber reinterpreted as subfamily of extant family Pseudochactidae (Chelicerata: Scorpiones)

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Extinct scorpion family Chaerilobuthidae from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber reinterpreted as subfamily of extant family Pseudochactidae (Chelicerata: Scorpiones)

Abstract

The extinct scorpion family Chaerilobuthidae Lourenço and Beigel, 2011, endemic to Burmese amber, was initially established due to its unique pedipalp trichobothrial pattern related to the Type A and Type B patterns of families Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837 and Chaerilidae Pocock, 1893, respectively. The present contribution describes 11 new specimens, representing seven species of Chaerilobuthidae from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, revealing their morphology using various imaging technologies. A revised diagnosis of Chaerilobuthus Lourenço and Beigel, 2011 is provided based on new morphological characters of the carapace, ocelli, chelicera, pedipalp trichobothria, coxapophyses, and leg tarsi. The other two genera of Chaerilobuthidae, Chaeriloiurus Lourenço, 2020 and Serratochaerilobuthus Lourenço, 2024, are synonymized with Chaerilobuthus based on a reassessment of their morphological characters and morphometric analysis, creating Chaerilobuthus brigittemuellerae (Lourenço and Velten, 2020), comb. nov. and Chaerilobuthus schmidti (Lourenço and Velten, 2024), comb. nov.. The systematic position of Chaerilobuthidae is clarified based on phylogenetic analyses of an updated morphological character matrix for Pseudochactidae Gromov, 1998, an extant family in Asia. Phylogenetic analysis placed Chaerilobuthidae sister to the pseudochactid subfamily Vietbocapinae Lourenço, 2012, justifying its transfer to Pseudochactidae, as Chaerilobuthinae Lourenço and Beigel, 2011, stat. nov.. This discovery confirms that Pseudochactidae date back 100 Mya and contributes to understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this relictual family. 

Qiang Xuan, Lorenzo Prendini, Michael S Engel, Chenyang Cai, Diying Huang, Extinct scorpion family Chaerilobuthidae from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber reinterpreted as subfamily of extant family Pseudochactidae (Chelicerata: Scorpiones), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 203, Issue 1, January 2025, zlae169, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae169