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,...

Molecular Mechanisms of Efficacy Variation in Antivenoms: Insights from a Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) Bite in Vietnam

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Molecular Mechanisms of Efficacy Variation in Antivenoms: Insights from a Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) Bite in Vietnam

Abstract

Background: Although antivenom is the standard treatment for snakebite envenoming, its efficacy may be impacted by geographic variation in venom composition, emphasizing the need for region-specific antivenom development. Methods: We report a case of snakebite envenoming, in which the patient was bitten on the hand by a captive Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) with typical clinical manifestations following. Antivenom (produced in Thailand) was administered at 33 and 39 h post-bite. Venom from the causative individual snake was collected for compositional analysis via SDS-PAGE. Enzymatic activity of the venom was evaluated through the degradation of casein and phospholipid substrates, along with the assessment of enzymatic inhibition by two regionally specific antivenoms produced in Vietnam (AV. Cr. VN.) and Thailand (AV. Cr. TL.). Results: The patient showed good recovery, with complete normalization by day 7. SDS-PAGE profiling of the venom revealed five major enzymes, with SVSP, SVMP and PLA2 being the most abundant (16.7%, 40.11% and 26.11%, respectively). Antivenom inhibition tests revealed remaining casein percentages of 67.43% (AV. Cr. VN) and 59.35% (AV. Cr. TL). Blood agar assays indicated that phospholipase activity was reduced to 21.01% by AV. Cr. VN. and 23.30% by AV. Cr. TL. Conclusions: Our results show that the Vietnamese antivenom generated greater inhibitory activity against proteinases compared to the Thai product, underscoring the importance of using regionally specific antivenoms that are more effective against the venom profiles of locality-matched snake populations.

Le, T. Q., Nguyen, N. T., Pham, Y. B., Vu, M. B., Le, N. T., Nguyen, N. S., Balchan, N. R., Tan, C. H., Duong, T. H., Nguyen, H. H., & Nguyen, T. T. (2025). Molecular Mechanisms of Efficacy Variation in Antivenoms: Insights from a Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) Bite in Vietnam. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 10(12), 331. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed10120331