In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions

Posted by
  Photo Credit: Le Parisien In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions The passing of Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) is a deeply felt loss for those of us who share an interest in the study of scorpions and other arachnids. Throughout his life, he dedicated himself to documenting and preserving arachnological knowledge, contributing valuable work on scorpion taxonomy, distribution, and bibliography. His careful attention to the literature helped bring clarity and organization to a field whose history spans centuries and many languages. Gérard was also closely associated with the journal Arachnides , which became an important outlet for sharing research, faunistic records, and historical notes within the arachnological community. Through this work, he helped ensure that observations and studies—large and small—were preserved and made accessible to others with similar scientific interests. Beyond his scholarly contributions, Gérard was a humble and gen...

Spider Venom-Derived Peptide Exhibits Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidative Activities in LPS-Stimulated BEAS-2B Cells

Posted by

 


Spider Venom-Derived Peptide Exhibits Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidative Activities in LPS-Stimulated BEAS-2B Cells

Abstract

Most respiratory diseases are driven by excessive airway inflammation and oxidative stress, yet current therapies often lack durable efficacy or are unsafe. Host-defense peptides, commonly enriched in animal venoms, offer diverse, target-selective scaffolds for new therapeutics. In this study, we aimed to discover a novel bioactive peptide with therapeutic potential on respiratory tract damage by utilizing Nephila clavata venom gland transcriptome. Using in silico analysis and machine learning-based functional prediction, we designed a peptide, NC-CV, expected to have dual anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities with low cytotoxicity. In experimental validation, NC-CV improved human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cell viability under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure while reducing LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Mechanistic studies and molecular docking simulations indicated that NC-CV prevents toll-like receptor 4 signaling activation, suppressing nuclear factor κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of NC-CV was primarily based on direct intracellular ROS scavenging rather than the induction of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that the venom-derived peptide NC-CV disrupts the self-reinforcing cycle involving inflammatory signaling and oxidative stress in airway epithelium, highlighting its promise as a therapeutic candidate for respiratory disease.