Animal venom (e.g., scorpion) is a rich source of various protein and peptide toxins with diverse physio-/pharmaco-logical activities, which generally exert their action via target-specific modulation of different ion channel functions. Scorpion venoms are among the most widely-known source of peptidyl neurotoxins used for callipering different ion channels, such as; Na⁺, K⁺, Ca⁺, Cl(-), etc. A...

Background: MeICT is the first chlorotoxin-like peptide isolated from the Iranian Scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus. Chlorotoxin (CTX) is a neurotoxin that specially binds to (MMP-2) on ma-lignant cells and now is used in treatment of glioma. In the present study, we have used homology modeling to propose the 3D structure of MeICTand analyze its interaction with MMP-2 and its SNP types. Methods:The ...

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used anticancer drugs. Its side effects, however, have motivated researchers to search for equally effective analogs that are better tolerated. Selectively targeting cancer tissue is one promising strategy. For this purpose, a platinum(IV) complex was conjugated to the cancer-targeting peptide chlorotoxin (CTX, TM601) in order to deliver cisplatin selectively...

Chlorotoxin, one of the key toxins in scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus venom, has been shown to bind specifically to glioma cell surface as a specific chloride channel blocker. In this study, a purified, recombinant chlorotoxin-like peptide from the scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch (named rBmK CTa) was characterized by in vivo and in vitro studies. The results from cell proliferation assay with...

Current chemotherapy for glioma is rarely satisfactory due to low therapeutic efficiency and systemic side effects. We have developed a glioma-targeted drug delivery system based on graphene oxide. Targeted peptide chlorotoxin-conjugated graphene oxide (CTX-GO) sheets were successfully synthesized and characterized. Doxorubicin was loaded onto CTX-GO (CTX-GO/DOX) with high efficiency (570 mg do...

We recently have established a successful xenograft model of human glioblastoma cells by enriching hyaluronic acid-dependent spheroid-forming populations termed U251MG-P1 cells from U251MG cells. Since U251MG-P1 cells have been confirmed to express CD44 along with principal stemness marker genes, OCT3/4, SOX2, KLF4 and Nanog, this CD44 expressing population appeared to majorly consist of undiff...

Chlorotoxin (CTX) is a 36-amino acid peptide derived from Leiurus quinquestriatus (scorpion) venom, which inhibits low-conductance chloride channels in colonic epithelial cells. It has been reported that CTX also binds to matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), membrane type-1 MMP, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2, as well as CLC-3 chloride ion channels and other proteins. Pancreatic can...

Many small-molecule anti-cancer drugs have short blood half-lives and toxicity issues due to non-specificity. Nanotechnology has shown great promise in addressing these issues. Here, we report the development of an anti-cancer drug gemcitabine-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticle for glioblastoma therapy. A glioblastoma targeting peptide, chlorotoxin, was attached after drug conjugation. The nano...

The solution structure of chlorotoxin, a small toxin purified from the venom of the Leiurus quinquestriatus scorpion, has been determined using 2D 1H NMR spectroscopy. Analysis of the NMR data shows that the structure consists of a small three-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet packed against an alpha-helix, thereby adopting the same fold as charybdotoxin and other members of the short scorpion t...