Scorpion venom as a source of new antimicrobial agents

Posted by
  Scorpion venom as a source of new antimicrobial agents Abstract The escalating global threat of antimicrobial resistance necessitates urgent discovery of novel therapeutic agents. Scorpion venom, a complex cocktail of bioactive molecules, has emerged as a promising reservoir of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with potent activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens. This review comprehensively examines the structural and functional diversity of scorpion-derived AMPs and their therapeutic potential. Scorpion venom AMPs exhibit remarkable structural heterogeneity. Their physicochemical properties, characterized by cationic charge, amphipathicity, and α-helical or β-sheet conformations, underpin their antimicrobial efficacy. These peptides demonstrate broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity encompassing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Mechanistically, scorpion AMPs employ multifaceted strategies including membrane disruption through pore format...

Photobiomodulation Activated TGF-β1 Has Discrete Roles in Modulating Macrophage Responses to Bothrops jararacussu Venom

Posted by

 

Photo 64655231, (c) Juliano Marques, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Juliano Marques, https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/64655231

Photobiomodulation Activated TGF-β1 Has Discrete Roles in Modulating Macrophage Responses to Bothrops jararacussu Venom

ABSTRACT

Bothrops jararacussu (BjsuV) snake bites cause severe local and systemic effects that are counteracted with antivenom that is ineffective in preventing damage to muscle tissue and amputations. Photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a promising adjunct anti-inflammatory therapy. This study investigated whether PBM can modulate macrophage functions via TGF-β1 following exposure to BjsuV. Cell survival, migration, and phagocytosis of macrophages were evaluated after treatments with BjsuV, TGF-β1, a TGF-β inhibitor—SB431542, and PBM (660 nm red or 810 nm near-infrared laser at 10 mW/cm2, 400 and 500 s, 4 J/cm2, and 5 J/cm2, 7.5 pJ/cm2, 1.7ɇ). BjsuV-reduced macrophage survival and migration but increased phagocytosis that was significantly counteracted by PBM treatments. These observations suggest the anti-inflammatory effects of PBM in macrophages contribute to its therapeutic potential in mitigating venom-induced multiple signaling pathways. These mechanistic insights could improve the rigor and reproducibility of future clinical PBM anti-inflammatory treatments.

David, A. C., Amin, M., Varsani, R., Tang, M. Z., Kalshetti, D., Silva Junior, J. A., Zamuner, S. R., & Arany, P. (2026). Photobiomodulation Activated TGF-β1 Has Discrete Roles in Modulating Macrophage Responses to Bothrops jararacussu Venom. Journal of Biophotonics, 19(2), e70238. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbio.70238