Heterometrus Spinifer: An Untapped Source of Anti-Tumor Molecules

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Oncology

Background:

• Rising cancer incidence and mortality necessitate novel therapeutic strategies.
• Gut microbiota of resilient animals, like crocodiles, have yielded potential anti-tumor molecules.
• Scorpions, as resilient species, represent an unexplored source for anti-cancer compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the anti-tumor effects of gut bacteria from the scorpion *Heterometrus spinifer*.
• To isolate, identify, and evaluate bacteria and their derived molecules for anti-cancer properties.
• To assess the cytotoxic and growth inhibitory effects of bacterial-conditioned media on cancer cells.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and identification of bacteria from scorpion feces and gut.
• Preparation of bacterial-conditioned media in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640 media.
• Evaluation of anti-tumor effects using cytotoxicity and growth inhibition assays against cervical (HeLa) cancer cells.
• Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for molecular identification.

Main Results:

• Bacterial-conditioned media from scorpion gut and feces showed significant growth inhibition of HeLa cells (66.9% and 83.8%, respectively).
• Microscopic analysis indicated apoptosis-like effects in cancer cells treated with conditioned media from *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* (HSG12) and *Bacillus subtilis* (HSG16).
• Both HSG12 and HSG16 conditioned media demonstrated 100% growth inhibition against cervical, breast, and prostate cancer cells.
• LC-MS identified 47 compounds from HSG12 and HSG16, with potentially novel molecules among the unidentified ones.

Conclusions:

• The gut and fecal microbiota of scorpions harbor bacteria with significant anti-cancer properties.
• Specific bacterial isolates, *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* and *Bacillus subtilis*, show potent cytotoxic effects against multiple cancer cell lines.
• Further research is warranted to isolate, characterize, and develop these bacterial compounds into effective anti-cancer therapies.