Study: Bee, scorpion, snake venom may cure cancer
MANILA, Philippines – Bee, snake and scorpion are among the deadliest organisms found in the planet. People would not really think of them as a life-saver, but a recent study shows that venom from the aforementioned may stop the growth of cancer cell in a human’s body.
A team of scientists in University of Illinois, lead by Dipanjan Pan, claims to have found a way to stop cancer cell development, according to a report presented in an American Chemical Society (ACS) conference. The report was part of the 248th National Meeting of the ACS, the world’s largest scientific society.
According to Pan, the experiment has shown success in stopping breast cancer and melanoma cell growth in lab tests. Venom from snakes, bees and scorpions contains proteins and peptides which, when separated from the other components and tested individually, can attach to cancer cell membranes.
The procedure is very delicate since injecting the venom inappropriately may cause side effects such as damage to the heart and nerve cells, clotting and bleeding under the skin. Bee stings, for example, hurt and become inflamed because melittin, the main toxin in a bee's venom, destroys cell membranes. Apart from the curing effect of the venom, it also has properties that destroy both cancer cells and healthy cells.
However, Pan's team found a way to produce these helpful cells, specifically the toxin melittin in honeybees.
Pan's technique uses nanotechnology to deliver a synthesized element similar to the venom found in bees, snakes and scorpions.
“We have safely used venom toxins in tiny nanometer-sized particles to treat breast cancer and melanoma cells in the laboratory. These particles, which are camouflaged from the immune system, take the toxin directly to the cancer cells, sparing normal tissue,” Pan said in a news release by American Chemical Society.
This is a big breakthrough in discovering a cancer cure, because unlike chemotherapy, this targeted technique, in theory, would attack cancer cells only.
Meanwhile, Pan’s team will try the new treatment approach in rats and pigs to further explore the potentials of the experiment.
Watch video of Pan talking about the experiment.
YouTube (American Chemical Society)
