Could venom-derived therapeutics resolve treatment resistance in refractory EAC?

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  Could venom-derived therapeutics resolve treatment resistance in refractory EAC? Abstract The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is rising in Western countries. Despite advances in chemotherapy and immunotherapy, the prognosis remains poor, with an overall 5-year survival rate below 15%. A major challenge is the cancer’s poor and often unpredictable response to current treatments. Animal venoms represent a promising yet underexplored source of therapeutic agents, offering millions of structurally diverse and highly potent bioactive peptides that can modulate a wide array of molecular targets. However, only a small fraction of these peptides has been pharmacologically characterized. This review presents the therapeutic potential of venom-derived peptides in cancer treatment, summarizes the role of ion channels in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), and discusses peptides targeting ion channels that may offer new opportunities for future EAC treatment. Freuville L, Matthys C, Gill...

Glacial Relicts? a New Scorpion from Mount Olympus, Greece (Euscorpiidae: Euscorpius)

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Glacial Relicts? a New Scorpion from Mount Olympus, Greece (Euscorpiidae: Euscorpius)

Abstract

Mediterranean mountains and Pleistocene glacial cycles are responsible for much of the unique biodiversity of the Western Palearctic, acting respectively as refugia and drivers of diversification. Mount Olympus, a legendary Greek landmark, is a perfect example. This massif provided a glacial refugium for many species, resulting in a unique biota. In the present contribution, a new euscorpiid scorpion with a distinctive morphology, Euscorpius olympus, sp. nov., is described from an isolated population in the foothills of Mount Olympus. This new species raises the number of species in the genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876, to 74, in Greece to 32, and in the vicinity of Mount Olympus, to three. The roles of climatic oscillations, altitudinal gradients and habitat heterogeneity on the diversity and distributions of the three species occurring around Mount Olympus are briefly discussed.


Javier Blasco-Aróstegui and Lorenzo Prendini "Glacial Relicts? a New Scorpion from Mount Olympus, Greece (Euscorpiidae: Euscorpius)," American Museum Novitates 2023(4003), 1-36, (9 November 2023). https://doi.org/10.1206/4003.1