A scorpion venom protein slowed blood vessel growth in lab tests
Original title: Study on the molecular mechanism of chlorotoxin from Buthus martensii Karsch in the inhibition of glioma angiogenesis.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was done on cells in a lab, not in people. It is a very early step.
This was only done with cells in a dish.
The short version
In a lab dish, a protein from scorpion venom slowed the cells that build tumor blood vessels.
What was studied. Scientists tested a protein from scorpion venom called BmK CT. They used human blood vessel cells grown in a dish. Some of those cells were also given fluid from glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary cells, a type of brain tumor.
What they found. BmK CT slowed the growth of the blood vessel cells. It also made them move less and form fewer tube shapes. Fluid from glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary cells normally made the cells move more, and BmK CT reversed that. The team also pointed to nine proteins that may be involved.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Brain tumors need blood vessels to grow. This early lab work points to one possible way to slow those vessels. For now it is a lead for more research, not a treatment.
What it doesn't mean: This was only done with cells in a dish. It was not tested in people or in animals. It does not show that this protein can treat a brain tumor. Nothing here is available to patients today, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, October 29, 2026 · Read the original
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