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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Toxicol.
Sec. Immunotoxicology
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1503055

Immunosuppressive therapies in scorpion envenomation: new perspectives for treatment

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
  • 2 Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Scorpion envenoming is a relevant and neglected public health problem in some countries. The use of antivenom is widespread in many regions, targeting specific species of scorpions. However, the uncontrolled proliferation and adaptation of these animals to urban environments, combined with limited access to treatments in remote areas and delays in antivenom administration contribute to a significant number of fatalities from scorpion-related incidents. In recent decades, new research has revealed that the immune system plays an important role in triggering immunopathological reactions during scorpion envenoming, which places it as a therapeutic target; however, few clinical studies have been conducted. This work provides a review of the main immunopathological aspects of scorpion envenoming, as well as the clinical trials conducted to date on the use of corticosteroids for the treatment of scorpionism. We highlight emerging treatment perspectives as well as the need for further clinical trials. The use of corticosteroids in scorpionism, when appropriate, could significantly enhance access to treatment and help reduce fatalities associated with scorpion stings.

    Keywords: corticosteroids, Scorpion envenoming, immune response, Scorpionism, Imunossupression

    Received: 28 Sep 2024; Accepted: 06 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Reis and Arantes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Mouzarllem B. Reis, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.