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Nov 17, 2018

Scorpion Venom Shuttles Drugs to the Brain

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

And you thought needles were scary: Researchers are using scorpion venom to transport drugs to the brain.

The Peptides and Proteins lab at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) modified the amino acid chain chlorotoxin—present in scorpion venom—to carry medicine across humans’ blood-brain barrier (BBB).

An important mechanism for protecting the brain from harmful substances, the roadblock also prevents medication used to treat neurological diseases and tumors from entering the organ.

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