Researchers in Brazil have identified a molecule in the venom of a South American scorpion that shows promise as a potential new treatment for breast cancer, which is one of the leading causes of death among women.

The team at the University of Sao Paulo’s Ribeirao Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP), working with colleagues from the National Institute for Amazonian Research and the Amazonas State University, discovered the compound in the toxin of Brotheas amazonicus, a species of black scorpion that inhabits the Amazon rainforest.

Early laboratory tests suggest the compound kills breast cancer cells in a manner similar to that of a commonly used chemotherapy drug by triggering necrosis.

The finding builds on long-running research into the bioactive components of venom. FCFRP-USP scientists and partner institutions are also developing biopharmaceutical tools through heterologous expression – inserting genes of interest into yeast to produce medically useful proteins at scale.

This strategy has supported advances such as a fibrin sealant developed by the Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals; a “biological glue” derived from snake venom and animal blood components, now in phase three clinical trials.

Researchers are also working to express enzymes from snake venom and growth factors in yeast to improve the sealant’s effectiveness and industrial production.

The scorpion-venom molecule, named BamazScplp1, is among several compounds being explored through this approach. Scientists have also identified venom-based proteins with immunosuppressive or therapeutic potential.

Although the breast cancer findings are preliminary, the research demonstrates how venom, combined with modern gene-expression techniques, may yield new treatments. As lead investigator Eliane Candiani Arantes notes, bioprospecting remains a powerful tool for uncovering bioactive molecules hidden in nature.

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