Summary: According to recent discoveries by the American Chemical Society, a compound called chlorotoxin may help deliver anti-cancer genes to the most common and severe form of brain cancer, called glioma. Chlorotoxin is found in the highly poisonous venom of the deathstalker Leiurus quinquestriatus scorpion. When the chlorotoxin is added to nanoparticles of iron oxide, it can double the amount of anti-cancer genes that to go into the brain cancer cells as nanoparticles that don't have the scorpion toxin.
Critique: It sounds promising. Double the cancer fighting genes can reach the brain with the chlorotoxin compound, as compared with other approaches.
Impact: I believe we are another step closer to curing cancer. Many people are diagnosed with cancer every day and I think that this could stop the cancer from spreading and the patients dying.
Reference: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/09/08/fighting-cancer-with-scorpions/?intcmp=obinsite
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