An integrative description of Euscorpius diagorasi sp. n. from Rhodes, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae)

Posted by
  An integrative description of Euscorpius diagorasi sp. n. from Rhodes, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) Abstract The genus  Euscorpius  Thorell, 1876 comprises a diverse and taxonomically challenging group of scorpions in the Mediterranean, with Greece representing one of its principal centers of diversity. In this study, we provide an integrative description of  Euscorpius diagorasi   sp. n. , a new species from Rhodes Island, Greece. The new species is described on the basis of adult male and female morphology and mitochondrial COI sequence data. It is a small oligotrichous species characterized by a total length of approximately 21–25 mm, pale yellow to light brown coloration with darker reddish-brown pedipalps, pectinal tooth count of 8 in the male and 7 in the females, Pv = 7–8, Pe-et = 5–6, and a distinct mitochondrial lineage. Phylogenetic analyses based on COI recovered the Rhodian specimens as a strongly supported monophyletic lineage, sister to...

Successful venom immunotherapy with avapritinib in a patient with systemic mastocytosis

Posted by

 


Successful venom immunotherapy with avapritinib in a patient with systemic mastocytosis

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a clonal mast cell (MC) disorder characterized by tissue infiltration of MCs driving clinical symptoms.1 The disorder is characterized by activating mutations in the KIT protein, classically KIT p.D816V. SM is treated in a symptom-guided manner with therapies targeted toward bioactive MC mediators. However, the recent discoveries of targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors have changed the treatment paradigm of indolent SM (ISM).2 Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have demonstrated to reduce MC burden and improve quality of life. To date, they have not been used to facilitate venom immunotherapy (VIT). Patients with mastocytosis and Hymenoptera venom allergy may have recurrent anaphylaxis during VIT, and adjunctive therapies are a significant unmet need to protect this patient population. Although omalizumab has been found to be effective in a subset of patients, non-IgE-mediated mechanisms may be activated by Hymenoptera venom and an increased mutated MC burden may contribute to life-threatening symptoms. We report, here, the first case of successful VIT in a patient with ISM treated with avapritinib.

Depina, L., Karmarkar, S. N., Moeller, S., Lazarovich, M., De Magalhães, A. R., Castells, M., & Giannetti, M. P. (2025). Successful venom immunotherapy with avapritinib in a patient with systemic mastocytosis. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 135(3), 343-344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2025.06.015