UNAM researchers developed three antibiotics from scorpion venom benzoquinones and habanero defensin peptide, targeting TB, Staph aureus, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter.
Key Takeaways
Two benzoquinones isolated from Diplocentrus melici scorpion venom: blue variant effective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Acinetobacter baumannii; red variant against Staphylococcus aureus.
Blue benzoquinone validated in mouse tuberculosis model by collaborator at Salvador Zubirán Institute; compounds patented in Mexico and South Africa.
Habanero (Capsicum chinense) defensin J1-1 was expressed via genetically modified bacteria using submerged fermentation, yielding drug candidate XisHar J1-1 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Key limitation: habanero peptide tested only against a lab strain, not resistant patient-derived strains; degradation in vivo remains an open problem.
Next steps require clinical trials and pharmaceutical partnership for scale-up; nanoparticle stabilization systems are in development.
