Bee, scorpion and snake venom might hold cancer cure

kwgn 2 ^ | 8-12-2014

[Citizen Zed]

A scientist at the University of Illinois, Dipanjan Pan, and his team say they might have found a way to stop cancer cell growth, according to a paper presented at the American Chemical Society conference this week.

The work is in very early stages, but has shown success in stopping breast cancer and melanoma cell growth in lab tests. Pan’s technique uses nanotechnology to deliver a synthesized element similar to the venom found in bees, snakes and scorpions.

Ancient texts show doctors have used venom to treat aliments for years. In 14 BC, the Greek writer Pliny the Elder described the use of bee venom as a cure for baldness. Doctors used beestings to treat the Emperor Charlemagne’s gout in the 700s. Traditional Chinese medicine has used frog venom to fight liver, lung, colon and pancreatic cancers. Alternative doctors in Cuba have used scorpion venom to fight brain tumors.

The general problem with injecting someone with venom is that there can be harmful side effects. Beestings, for example, hurt and become inflamed because melittin, the main toxin in a bee’s venom, destroys cell membranes. It can also cause blood to clot, damage the heart muscle and hurt healthy nerve cells.

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From the article:

Pan’s lab will try the synthesized venom and nanotechnology combination on cancer cells in rats and pigs. If successful, they’ll then try the technique on humans. He predicts that step could happen in the next three to five years.

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