Dr Ciara Duffy, of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and the University of Western Australia, tested the effect of the venom on clinical subtypes of breast cancer, including triple negative breast cancer , whose treatment options remain limited to this day: As part of this research, Duffy tested the venom of 312 bees and bumblebees from Perth, Western Australia, Ireland, and England. The results of the study revealed that bee venom quickly destroyed triple negative breast cancer and HER2 enriched breast cancer cells.
Initially, the aim of the research was to study the anticancer properties of bee venom, as well as one of its components, the melittin (a 26 amino acid residue oligopeptide, the main active component in apitoxin, bee venom), on different types of breast cancer cells.
« No one had yet compared the effects of bee venom or melittin on all breast cancer subtypes and normal cells – we tested bee venom on normal breast cells and sub cells. -clinical types of breast cancer: hormone receptor positive, enriched in HER2 and triple negative Duffy explained. ” We tested a positively charged peptide in bee venom called melittin, which we were able to reproduce synthetically, and found that the synthetic product reflected the majority of the anti-cancer effects of bee venom Duffy added.
The research thus shed light on the fact that bee venom, and therefore melittin, significantly, selectively and rapidly reduced the viability of triple negative breast cancer and HER2-enriched breast cancer cells.
Dr Ciara Duffy, at the Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research. Credit: Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research
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It is important to know that the melittin in bee venom also had another remarkable effect: within 20 minutes, melittin was able to drastically reduce the chemical messages from cancer cells which are essential for cancer cell growth and division. .
« The venom is extremely powerful. Melittin can completely destroy cancer cell membranes in 60 minutes Duffy said. ” We looked at how bee venom and melittin affect cancer signaling pathways, the chemical messages that are fundamental to the growth and reproduction of cancer cells, and we found that, very quickly, these signaling pathways s ‘were arrested Duffy explained.
This is because melittin modulated signaling in breast cancer cells by suppressing activation of the receptor, which is commonly overexpressed in triple negative breast cancer, the epidermal growth factor receptor, and suppressed activation. of HER2, which is overexpressed in HER2-enriched breast cancer.
« It’s an incredibly exciting observation that melittin, a major component of bee venom, can suppress the growth of breast cancer cells, especially triple negative breast cancer. Said Professor Peter Klinken, chief scientist at the University of Western Australia. ” Significantly, this study demonstrates how melittin interferes with signaling pathways in breast cancer cells to reduce cell replication. It provides another wonderful example where compounds in nature can be used to treat human diseases. “, he added.
Duffy also performed tests to find out if melittin could be used with existing chemotherapy drugs because it forms pores (or holes) into breast cancer cell membranes, potentially allowing other treatments to enter the cancer cell, to further increase cancer cell death. ” We have found that melittin can be used with small molecules or chemotherapy drugs, like docetaxel, to treat very aggressive types of breast cancer. The combination of melittin and docetaxel was extremely effective in reducing tumor growth in mice », She explained.
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Dr Duffy’s research was carried out as part of his doctorate undertaken at the Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research in Perth, Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, supervised by Associate Professor Pilar Blancafort. ” I started by collecting Perth Bee Venom. Perth’s bees are among the healthiest in the world. They were put to sleep with carbon dioxide and kept on ice before the venom beard was removed from the bee’s abdomen and the venom extracted by careful dissection. She said.
Although there are 20,000 species of bees, Duffy wanted to compare the effects of Perth bee venom to other bee populations in Ireland and England, as well as to bumblebee venom: ” I discovered that the bee in Australia, Ireland and England produced almost identical effects in breast cancer compared to normal cells. However, bumblebee venom was unable to induce cell death, even at very high concentrations. », Explained the researcher.
Furthermore, it is interesting to note that one of the very first reports on the effects of bee venom, was published in the journal Nature in 1950, and explained then that this venom reduced the growth of tumors in plants.
However, Duffy said that it has only been in the past two decades that interest in the effects of bee venom on various cancers has increased dramatically. As for what follows, further studies will still be necessary to formally evaluate the optimal method of administration of melittin, as well as the toxicities and maximum tolerated doses. A case to follow closely.
Source : Npj Precision Oncology
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