Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Congress of Medical and Health Sciences, Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, 23 - 24 Ocak 2026, ss.440-441, (Özet Bildiri)
Cell death is a critical cellular process
in the developmental process, crucial for organ formation and maintaining
tissue homeostasis. Apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, plays a role in
maintaining tissue integrity by eliminating unnecessary or damaged cells.
Disruption of apoptotic mechanisms can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation
and cancer development. Therefore, natural or synthetic compounds targeting
apoptosis are among the important research areas for cancer treatment.
Biotoxins are natural compounds produced by various organisms that have
pharmacological potential. Scorpion venoms, which are biotoxin derivatives, are
reported to exhibit anti-tumor effects due to containing bioactive molecules
that can induce apoptosis.
This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic and
apoptotic effects of raw venom from the scorpion species Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) on MDA-MB-231
triple-negative breast cancer and Vero healthy cell lines. Cell viability was
assessed using the MTT method, and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential
were analyzed using fluorescent staining. Expression levels of
apoptosis-related genes (CASP3, CDKN1A, TP53, NOXA, PUMA, BCL2, BCL2L1, and BAX) were determined using the RT-qPCR
method.
The findings showed that raw scorpion venom significantly
reduced cell viability in breast cancer cells depending on the concentration
(p<0.0001). While raw scorpion venom showed a significant cytotoxic effect
in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, it did not cause significant toxicity in
healthy cells. This finding reveals that the venom exhibits selective toxicity
against cancer cells. A significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane
potential was observed 24 hours after venom application to breast cancer cells.
Gene expression analyses revealed significant decreases in CASP3 and CDKN1A genes,
and significant increases in PUMA and
pro-apoptotic BAX genes (p<0.05).
In conclusion, it is thought that A. crassicauda venom exhibits anti-tumor effects by inducing
apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells and may be a
potential therapeutic agent for diseases associated with cell death.
Keywords: Scorpion Venom;
Apoptosis; Biotoxin; Cell Death; Breast Cancer