Australian scientists say honeybee venom destroys cancer cells

Scientists from the Harry Perkins Institute and the University of Western Australia have discovered that the melittin peptide found in honeybee venom can destroy cancer cells, Report informs with reference to the study published in the NPJ Nature Precision Oncology journal.

While studying the venom of 312 honeybees and bumblebees from Perth (Western Australia), Ireland, and England, scientists discovered the unique anti-cancer properties of melittin.

After injecting this peptide into mice with breast cancer, researchers found it to be extremely potent - melittin can destroy cancer cell membranes in just 60 minutes.

Within 20 minutes of injection, melittin demonstrated the ability to suppress chemical signals necessary for cancer cell growth and division.

Scientists have also determined that melittin could be effective in treating aggressive forms of breast cancer when combined with small molecules or chemotherapy drugs like docetaxel. Experiments on mice have shown that the combination of melittin and docetaxel significantly slows tumor growth.