The Incredible Medicinal Possibilities of Scorpion Venom

Joshua Oide

When one looks at the stinger of a scorpion, the first thing that comes to mind is usually not the endless healing possibilities contained in that stinger. However, that is exactly what should come to mind! Indeed, scorpions have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, mainly in Asia and Africa (Ortiz et al. 2015). It is only recently that the modern world has started to realize the medicinal value that may be held in scorpion venom, with possibilities ranging from new antibacterials to new cancer treatments.

So, why does scorpion venom have so many potential medical uses? Simply put, there are some components and activities of scorpion venom, such as non-disulfide-bridged peptides (NDBPs), which display biological behaviors that might be relevant for the development of new pharmaceuticals and other medical uses (Ortiz et al. 2015). Scorpion venom contains components that make it capable of binding specifically to certain types of cells, which is also of huge interest in pharmaceuticals (Heinen and da Veiga 2011).

One intriguing described activity of scorpion venom is as an antimalarial. About 2000 people still die every day as result of malaria, many of them children (Ortiz et al. 2015). However, some molecules derived from scorpion venom have shown promise in being effective antimalarials. Scorpine, a peptide isolated from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator (Figure 1), has been shown to have a significant inhibitory effect on key stages in the development of Plasmodium, the protozoan parasite that causes malaria (Conde et al. 2000). Additionally, scorpion-derived NDBPs from the scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus (Figure 2) have been shown to be able to selectively kill Plasmodium while they are in red blood cells at a concentration of 10 micromoles (Ortiz et al. 2015).

Figure 1: Pandinus imperator, the emperor scorpion. Credit: Mike Baird, Wikimedia Commons.

Figure 2: Mesobuthus eupeus, the lesser Asian scorpion. Credit: Mesobuthus eupeus, Wikimedia Commons.

Perhaps most intriguingly, scorpion venom has many potential uses in the ongoing fight against cancer. Despite many favorable advancements in cancer treatments, the lack of selectivity for cancerous cells remains an issue in many treatments, such as chemotherapy. Remarkably, a molecule that is purified from the venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus (Figure 3), chlorotoxin, binds only to glioma cells and displays very little or no activity in normal cells (Heinen and da Veiga 2011). A synthetic version of this peptide, used to carry radiation specifically to tumor cells, reached phase I and phase II clinical trials, with phase I trials showing that the dose was safe, had minimum toxicity, and bound specifically to malignant gliomas for long periods of time (Heinen and da Veiga 2011). Some patients did not show any progression of the tumor for 30 months (Ortiz et al. 2015). The results of a phase II study involving patients with recurring glioma showed survival improvement, with these results being presented at the meeting of the Neuro-Oncology society (Ortiz et al. 2015).

Figure 3: Leiurus quinquestriatus, the deathstalker scorpion. Credit: Deathstalker, Wikimedia Commons.

There are many more potential medical uses of scorpion venom than what has been discussed here and the amazing potential contained within scorpion venom, compounds which are otherwise used to inflict injury or death, surely will be an active area of research as we continue to fight against disease and sickness.

References

Conde, Renaud, et al. “Scorpine, an anti-malaria and anti-bacterial agent purified from scorpion venom.” FEBS Letters 471 (2000): 165-168.

Heinen, Tiago Elias, and da Veiga, Ana Beatriz Gorini. “Arthropod venoms and cancer.” Toxicon 57 (2011): 497-511.

Ortiz, Ernesto, et al. “Scorpion venom components as potential candidates for drug development.” Toxicon 93 (2015): 125-135.