BotCl, the First Chlorotoxin-like Peptide Inhibiting Newcastle Disease Virus: The Emergence of a New Scorpion Venom AMPs Family.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is one of the most serious contagions affecting domestic poultry and other avian species. It causes high morbidity and mortality, resulting in huge economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Despite vaccination, NDV outbreaks increase the need for alternative prevention and control means.

Polylactide Nanoparticles as a Biodegradable Vaccine Adjuvant: A Study on Safety, Protective Immunity and Efficacy against Human Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania Major.

Leishmaniasis is the 3rd most challenging vector-borne disease after malaria and lymphatic filariasis. Currently, no vaccine candidate is approved or marketed against leishmaniasis due to difficulties in eliciting broad immune responses when using sub-unit vaccines. The aim of this work was the design of a particulate sub-unit vaccine for vaccination against leishmaniasis.

Functional role of Kv1.1 and Kv1.3 channels in the neoplastic progression steps of three cancer cell lines, elucidated by scorpion peptides.

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are known to play a pivotal role in the progression of various cancer types and considered as new targets for designing anti-cancer therapy. However, the fact that many Kv channels are expressed in different cell lines makes it difficult to ascribe a functional role for a given Kv channel on a specific aspect of the tumorogenesis. In this work, we showed that although both Kv1.

Evidence of K homeostasis disruption in cellular dysfunction triggered by 7-ketocholesterol, 24S-hydroxycholesterol, and tetracosanoic acid (C24:0) in 158N murine oligodendrocytes.

Imbalance in the homeostasis of K ions has been reported to contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. 7-ketocholesterol (7KC), 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24S-OHC), and tetracosanoic acid (C24:0), often found at increased levels in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis and X-ALD, are able to trigger numerous nerve cell dysfunctions. We therefore studied the impact of 7KC, 24S-OHC, and C24:0 on 158N murine oligodendrocytes, and determined their impact on K homeostasis.

Lebecetin, a C-type lectin, inhibits choroidal and retinal neovascularization.

Angiogenesis is a cause of visual impairment and blindness in the wet form of age-related macular degeneration and in ischemic retinopathies. Current therapies include use of anti-VEGF agents to reduce choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and edema. These treatments are effective in most cases, but spontaneous or acquired resistance to anti-VEGF and possible adverse effects of long-term VEGF inhibition in the retina and choroid highlight a need for additional alternative therapies.

In Silico prediction of the molecular basis of ClTx and AaCTx interaction with matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) to inhibit glioma cell invasion.

Glioblastoma is the deadliest type of brain cancer. Treatment could target the Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), which is known to be involved in the invasion process of glioblastoma cells. But current available inhibitors are not selective to MMP-2 due to their interaction with the catalytic binding site, which is highly conserved in all MMPs structures.

Lebetin 2, a Snake Venom-Derived Natriuretic Peptide, Attenuates Acute Myocardial Ischemic Injury through the Modulation of Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore at the Time of Reperfusion.

Cardiac ischemia is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is now well established that natriuretic peptides can attenuate the development of irreversible ischemic injury during myocardial infarction. Lebetin 2 (L2) is a new discovered peptide isolated from Macrovipera lebetina venom with structural similarity to B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP).

Venom conjugated polylactide applied as biocompatible material for passive and active immunotherapy against scorpion envenomation.

Scorpion envenoming represents a public health issue in subtropical regions of the world. Treatment and prevention need to promote antitoxin immunity. Preserving antigenic presentation while removing toxin effect remains a major challenge in toxin vaccine development.

CC5 and CC8, two homologous disintegrins from Cerastes cerastes venom, inhibit in vitro and ex vivo angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis constitutes a fundamental step in tumor progression. Thus, targeting tumour angiogenesis has been identified to be promising in cancer treatment. In this work, CC5 and CC8, two highly homologous disintegrins isolated from the venom Cerastes cerastes viper from the south of Tunisia, were assessed for their anti-angiogenic effect by testing their ability to interfere with viability, adhesion, migration and angiogenesis of Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells, HMEC-1 and HBMEC.

Characterization of Kbot21 Reveals Novel Side Chain Interactions of Scorpion Toxins Inhibiting Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels.

Scorpion toxins are important pharmacological tools for probing the physiological roles of ion channels which are involved in many physiological processes and as such have significant therapeutic potential. The discovery of new scorpion toxins with different specificities and affinities is needed to further characterize the physiology of ion channels. In this regard, a new short polypeptide called Kbot21 has been purified to homogeneity from the venom of Buthus occitanus tunetanus scorpion.

Kbot55, purified from Buthus occitanus tunetanus venom, represents the first member of a novel α-KTx subfamily.

Kbot55 is a 39 amino acid peptide isolated from the venom of the Tunisian scorpion Buthus occitanus tunetanus. This peptide is cross-linked by 3 disulfide bridges and has a molecular mass of 4128.65Da.

Histopathological changes induced by Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion venom in mice.

Envenomation by Hemiscorpius lepturus (H. lepturus) is associated with local necrosis, followed by systemic manifestations. In this work the LD₅₀ of H.

Purification, synthesis and characterization of AaCtx, the first chlorotoxin-like peptide from Androctonus australis scorpion venom.

AaCtx is the first chlorotoxin-like peptide isolated from Androctonus australis scorpion venom. Its amino acid sequence shares 70% similarity with chlorotoxin from Leiurus quinquestriatus scorpion venom, from which it differs by twelve amino acids. Due to its very low concentration in venom (0.

Bioinformatic characterizations and prediction of K+ and Na+ ion channels effector toxins.

Background: K+ and Na+ channel toxins constitute a large set of polypeptides, which interact with their ion channel targets. These polypeptides are classified in two different structural groups. Recently a new structural group called birtoxin-like appeared to contain both types of toxins has been described.

Neurohormonal activation in severe scorpion envenomation: correlation with hemodynamics and circulating toxin.

We studied the effects of scorpion (Androctonus australis hector) venom on hemodynamics and on the release of catecholamines, neuropeptide Y (NPY), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in dog model of severe scorpion envenomation. Nine mongrel anesthetized dogs were submitted to mechanical ventilation through intubation and were administered intravenously purified dried scorpion venom (Androctonus autstralis) 0.05 mg/kg.

Lebectin, a novel C-type lectin from Macrovipera lebetina venom, inhibits integrin-mediated adhesion, migration and invasion of human tumour cells.

The adhesion receptors of the integrin family play an essential role during tumour progression and thus represent interesting potential targets for the development of new therapeutic agents. The snake venom contains natural inhibitors of integrin-ligand interactions called disintegrins. It also contains C-type lectin proteins mainly known as modulators of platelet aggregation.