Scorpion Venom (1 of 2) (IMAGE)

University of Washington

Scorpion Venom (1 of 2)

Caption

In a, chlorotoxin molecules, colored blue and green, attach themselves to a central nanoparticle. In b, each nanoprobe offers many chlorotoxin molecules that can simultaneously latch on to many MMP-2s, depicted here in yellow, which are thought to help tumor cells travel through the body. In c, over time nanoprobes draw more and more of the MMP-2 surface proteins into the cell, slowing the tumor's spread.

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University of Washington

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