Bee venom for cancer and tumors

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I noticed the recent posts on neonicotinoids and imidacloprid and wondered if beekeepers knew of other recent news from years ago.

Bee Venom Targets Cancer
Melittin from bee venom is being used to kill cancerous cells and tumors. Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis researchers are using bee venom to shrink or slow the growth of tumors in mice. They have targeted the tumors with nanotechnology. Bee venom is attached to nanospheres. Nanobees are injected into the bloodstream. The spheres bypass healthy cells and seek infected cells to release the melittin.
Melittin released by the nanobees avoids the toxic side effects of older cancer therapies like chemotherapy. The Journal of Clinical Investigation published the study last summer. Melittin slowed tumor growth by 25% and shrank tumors by 88% in mice with skin or breast cancers, and reduced precancerous lesions by 80%. Healthy cells showed minimal toxicity to the treatment.
Dr. Wickline, consulted Dr. Paul Schlesinger, a professor of cell physiology and biology in advising Dr Soman. Dr. Schlesinger suspected that nanoparticles would attach readily to melittin. Melittin is a natural host-defense peptide, known to have anti-cancer properties. Dr. Soman found that melittin quickly forms a stable bond with the lipid layer of nanoparticles. Half of the melittin on nanobees was still circulating after 200 minutes. Release of melittin is accomplished with a ligand. The ligand seeks a receptor plentiful in new blood vessels. Tumors form new blood vessels to feed and grow, called the enhanced permeability and retention effect of tumors.
The experiments appeared to destroy the cancer cells by apoptosis. Chemotherapy causes necrosis and can damage other parts of the body. The research showed no significant sign of organ toxicity. Nanobees allowed researchers to inject what would be a lethal dose. Dr. Soman discovered the positive results in 2007 whie at Washington University. Dr. Soman took a job with biotechnology giant, Amgen Inc. Nanobee technology was licensed to Kereos Inc.
Dr. David Hoskin, cancer research at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia says the results are “pretty impressive and unique.” “The delivery technology they’ve developed allows for relatively long-term persistence of these peptides in the body and their specific targeting to tumor sites.”

Reference
Soman NR, Baldwin SL, Hu G, Marsh JN, Lanza GM, Heuser JE, Arbeit JM, Wickline SA, Schlesinger PH. Molecularly targeted nanocarriers deliver the cytolytic peptide melittin specifically to tumor cells in mice, reducing tumor growth. Journal of Clinical Investigation. August 10, 2009 (advance online publication).

Funding from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association supported this research.

CNN, "'Nanobees' destroy cancer cell by delivering synthesized bee venom to tumors," www2. Counton2.com, 19 August 2009.
Discovery News, "'Nanobees' Zap Tumors With Real Bee Venom," Blogs.DiscoveryChannel.co.uk, 24 August 2009.
Wolf, Catherine, "Researchers use bee venom, nanotechnology to kill cancer cells," PublicBroadcasting.net, 13 August 2009.
Victoria Anisman-Reiner, “Nanotechnology Kill Cancer Cells With Bee Venom,” 28 August 2009
Ericson, Gwen, “Tumors feel the deadly sting of nanobees,” 10 Aug 2009

 

[tonybloke]

thanks for posting, a really interesting article.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Saddest part is Kereos Inc bought the technology and the authors, Samuel A. Wickline and Gregory M. Lanza. The pharmaceutical company, Kereos can never sell the other chemo drugs and drugs to control side effects with the melittin nanospheres on the market. So we may never see them.

 

[isc26]

Sounds like an interesting follow up study would be occurance of cancer in beekeepers relative to another sample group.

 

[rook66]

Sounds like an interesting follow up study would be occurance of cancer in beekeepers relative to another sample group.

This has already been done in the US. Dr Laurie Croft refers to it in his book "Honey and Health" Chapter 12 page 98 (Thorsons Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-7225-1389-5) In this survey, the causes of death of 580 beekeepers were examined and compared with a comparable group of the general population. It was found that there was significantly less cases of malignancy amongst beekeepers than the other group. It has not been established if this is related to the incidence of bee stings or the consumption of honey.

 

[gavin]

On the other hand, this old suggestion that beekeepers suffer from less cancer was discussed yesterday on Bee-L. Peter Borst chipped in to point out that a more recent (and probably better designed) study says otherwise.

G.

Abstract
Carcinogenic effects of bee venom were evaluated in a mortality study of 580 occupationally exposed beekeepers. The subjects were identified through obituary notices published between 1949 and 1978 in three journals of the U.S. beekeeping industry. Death certificates of beekeepers were examined for causes of mortality, and proportionate mortality ratios were compared with those for the general U.S. population, Beekeepers had a slightly lower than expected fraction of deaths from cancer. The deficit of lung cancers in male beekeepers was significant (P < 0.05) and may indicate that fewer beekeepers were cigarette smokers. The frequencies of other cancers did not differ significantly from expectation. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma developed in four persons, and was expected in two. Motality from diseases other than cancer showed no unusual patterns. At least two persons died from accidents directly related to the care of beehives. Analysis of a subgroup of 377 males woth major roles in the beeleeping industry showed no substantial differences in distribution of causes of death. This study of beekeepers reveals neither adverse nor beneficial effects of intense exposure to bee stings. -- J Occup Med. 1979 Dec;21(12):811-3. (C) 1979 The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in with this more recent study.

G.

 

[mellifera]

We produce very high quality bee venom powder with a high activity of all components, and melittin in our bee venom is not less than 60%. Actually we are the best manufacture of pure, fresh, well dried bee venom powder in a very competitive price. If anybody is interested in this product, please find in the search New Techniques Laboratory Ltd

 

[Luminos]

We produce very high quality bee venom powder with a high activity of all components, and melittin in our bee venom is not less than 60%. Actually we are the best manufacture of pure, fresh, well dried bee venom powder in a very competitive price. If anybody is interested in this product, please find in the search New Techniques Laboratory Ltd

I bet the venom isn't as fresh as a beekeepers with an angry hive