Posted on 09/02/2020 12:03:08 PM PDT by EBH
A young Australian scientist's groundbreaking research has found honeybees could hold the secret to treating one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. Dr Ciara Duffy, 25, from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and The University of Western Australia, found venom from the honeybee could kill cancer cells in just 60 minutes.
As part of her PhD studies, Dr Duffy tested the effect of the venom from 312 honeybees and bumblees from Perth and Europe on types of breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer.
The results, published in the international journal Nature Precision Oncology, showed honeybee venom, and a component compound melittin, rapidly destroyed triple-negative breast cancer and HER2-enriched breast cancer cells.
"We found both honeybee venom and melittin significantly, selectively and rapidly reduced the viability of triple-negative breast cancer and HER2-enriched breast cancer cells," Dr Duffy said. "The venom was extremely potent. We found that melittin can completely destroy cancer cell membranes within 60 minutes."
Triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer which is is more likely to have spread at the time it's found and is more likely to come back after treatment than other types of breast cancer.
A specific concentration of the honeybee venom caused 100 per cent cancer cell death with minimal effects on normal cells. Within 20 minutes melittin was also able to substantially reduce the chemical messages of cancer cells essential to cancer cell growth and cell division.
"We looked at how honeybee venom and melittin affect the cancer signalling pathways, the chemical messages that are fundamental for cancer cell growth and reproduction, and we found that very quickly these signalling pathways were shut down," Dr Duffy said.
In Dr Duffy's research the bees were put to sleep with carbon dioxide and kept on ice before the venom barb was pulled out from the abdomen of the bee and the venom was extracted and injected into the tumours.
Dr Duffy also examined the effect of melittin used in combination with existing chemotherapy and found holes in breast cancer membranes caused by the melittin allowed the chemotherapy to enter the cell and work effectively in reducing tumour growth in mice. Western Australia's Chief Scientist Professor Peter Klinken described Dr Duffy's research as "incredibly exciting"
"Significantly, this study demonstrates how melittin interferes with signalling pathways within breast cancer cells to reduce cell replication," he said. "It provides another wonderful example of where compounds in nature can be used to treat human diseases."
While the findings are an exciting development, Dr Duffy said there was a long way to go before a honeybee venom treatment is delivered to cancer patients.
Future studies will be required to formally assess the best method of delivery of melittin, as well as toxicities and maximum tolerated doses.
See post 20
there is an amazon or maybe it is Netflix series right now called UNWELL...in it they devote each episode to one natural remedy. One episode discussed fasting during cancer treatment even and especially through chemo and how it affects the body. super interesting and the second time I have seen research based on the premise on humans )another documentary on Amazon called FASTING- there is a whole hospital treatment center in both Sweden and RUssia with excellent results.
Another episode was all about using bee venom for breast cancer- one woman they focused on had stage 4 breast cancer. Completely healed. Many many used it for arthritis and pain.
Really interesting!
Im highly allergic to bee venom.
L
I’ve heard each time someone is stung the reaction gets worse.
Thats true for me. The first reactions were fairly mild but increasing in severity with each exposure. The last time was full blown anaphylactic shock.
Not fun. During bee season I keep multiple EpiPens in easy reach at all times.
L
No you don’t need a sarc tag.
But honeybee populations are in decline and if they hold a cure for cancer...we need to everything we can to support their ongoing existence for food production and now for curing cancer.
I suspect if bee venom is a viable source for a cure, science will be able to create a mimic for it.
Well harvesting it must be a painstaking affair...
Actually the process involves an electrified sponge landing pad. Bees land on it, get shocked, and sting the sponge.
This kills the bee. Bee venom ran $1K an ounce in the 80s
interesting
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