Title: Brown recluse spider venom holds promise in killing breast cancer cells
Abstract:
Brown recluse spiders, also known as Loxosceles reclusa, are endemic to the Southcentral United States. These spiders are known for their reclusive behavior and necrotic venom. Brown recluse bites can occasionally develop into dry wounds containing dead tissue or cause systemic symptoms. Brown recluse venom is comprised of a mixture of enzymes including lipases, nucleases, and phosphatases, among others with sphingomyelinase D being the most studied enzyme. Because of the nature of this necrotic venom, it can damage cell membranes and holds the potential to kill human cancer cells. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death behind lung cancer. Certain types of breast cancer cells, such as MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, can be especially invasive. MDA-MB-231 cells are triple negative meaning that they lack receptors for progesterone and estrogen and do not have the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. When cells in this line are exposed to brown recluse venom, they exhibit cell features that are seen in cellular death processes. Some of these changes include condensed and fragmented DNA and cellular blebbing. Venom induced changes also seem to impact sodium channels, which are suggested to impart some of the invasive nature of cancer cells. These studies suggest that brown recluse venom holds promise as a biomedical agent capable of killing cancerous cells and may have therapeutic potential.
