Scorpion-Inspired Antimicrobial Peptide Mu-17 Shows Dual Breast Cancer Activity and Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Effect
A recent PubMed-indexed study reports that Mu-17 — a novel antimicrobial peptide designed using a bio-inspired approach based on scorpion AMP leucine-zipper-like motifs — showed both antimicrobial and anticancer activity with reduced toxicity. Mu-17 inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation with IC50 of 13 µM and exhibited remarkably low hemolytic activity (18% at 100 µM). The work adds to the emerging category of venom-derived peptides with dual therapeutic applications, complementing ongoing AI-driven antimicrobial peptide discovery efforts disclosed at AACR 2026 and ESCMID 2026.