How Scorpion Venom Could Yield New Cancer Treatment

January 7, 2015

(The Conversation) – An estimated 40% of clinically approved drugs fall into the category where either the natural compound itself or a modified version is the approved drug. These include statins (found in bacterial secretions) used to lower cholesterol, quinines (found in cinchona trees) as anti-malarials and paclitaxel (found in yew trees) as anti-cancer medication. Many of these natural products are toxins produced by plants or animals as a form of defence. And scorpion venom has been gaining interest as a source of new drugs.