camel tick
Like other ticks, Hyalomma dromedarii—also known as the camel tick—uses compounds in its saliva to fight back host defenses such as clotting and tissue repair. Researchers who have studied tick saliva say those compounds could have beneficial pharmaceutical applications, and a new study shows H. dromedarii saliva exhibits similar antitumor properties as previously found in that of other tick species. (Photo credit: Youmna M’ghirbi, Ph.D.)