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...

Targeting with toxins: an overview of venom peptides in drug delivery

Posted by

 


Targeting with toxins: an overview of venom peptides in drug delivery

Abstract

Due to the numerous issues associated with many current drug therapies, including lack of efficiency and off-target toxicity, targeted drug delivery has become a critical area of pharmaceutical research. Natural compounds show great promise for active drug targeting, since many of them possess distinct activity towards biomolecules in human body. That includes peptide toxins derived from venoms of various animals, which have often been tailored by evolution to target biomolecules in living systems with high potency and specificity.
In this review, we discuss the current research on the use of venom peptides for specific tissue targeting, in order to deliver therapeutic or diagnostic agents. Various delivery systems, predominantly nanoparticles and bioconjugates, have been developed using either natural, or modified venom peptides. Among these, chlorotoxin, a scorpion-derived toxin, and exendin-4, from lizard venom, have shown particular promise in targeted delivery. While many of these delivery systems have been designed for cancer or nervous system targeting, other conditions have also been approached. Besides therapeutic drug delivery, numerous targeted imaging agents have been developed and investigated for precise visualization of specific conditions.
Mazurs, A., Mauriņa, B., Bandere, D., & Logviss, K. (2025). Targeting with toxins: An overview of venom peptides in drug delivery. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 126193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.126193