Of course, larger studies are needed to confirm these results.Ĭhemical compounds within propolis called polyphenols, which are naturally found in plants and therefore various foods and drinks (including wine ), may explain some of these advantages. Relatively small human trials have suggested that standardized doses of propolis are safe and could help alleviate ailments like diabetes, respiratory tract infections, asthma and chronic kidney disease. After all, research indicates bees that produce higher amounts of propolis lead healthier, relatively longer lives. It may strengthen the immune system and could fight damage from hazards like free radicals. Researchers are now looking to define propolis’ drug potential via cell, animal and, increasingly, human studies. Nowadays, you can find propolis incorporated into products like lotion, shampoo, ointment and toothpaste. During World War II, Soviet clinics used propolis to treat tuberculosis. Hippocrates may have applied it to wounds and ulcers, and it was listed as an official drug in 17th-century Britain. They use it to build hives, but humans have long adapted the substance for their own benefit. Propolis, another practical bee product, is a resin-like mixture made by bees that’s composed of material from tree buds and their own saliva. It’s also possible that melittin and PLA2 could work synergistically to treat conditions like cancer and bacterial infections, which could explain bee venom’s broader impacts. Paul Cherniack, a geriatrician and internal medicine professor at the University of Arizona who has written reviews on bee venom acupuncture and other crawly critters’ medicinal potential. The proposed mechanisms are largely speculation, says E. It isn’t yet clear how exactly phospholipase A2, or other components of bee venom, could tackle neurodegenerative conditions. Still, this evidence largely comes from studies on mice. Even more, PLA2 could mitigate Parkinson’s disease by reducing brain inflammation. Like melittin, these enzymes have also been shown to exhibit anti-cancer properties. Pan’s latest research, which was published in 2017, revealed that peptides like melittin could work by interfering with the DNA transcription that’s associated with cancer spread.Īnother promising bee venom component: An enzyme called phospholipase A2, or PLA2, which is also found in venoms from animals, including snakes. This method may be particularly beneficial in stomping out lingering cells that resist chemotherapy, the team proposed. While at the University of Illinois, Pan's lab made headlines in 2014 after injecting melittin into nanoparticles that can attach to cancer cells. “It boils down to: How can we make these venom peptides more selective and targeted to the cancer cell? It’s like finding a needle in a haystack.” “That has been the key bottleneck in targeted therapy,” he adds. Chemotherapy, for example, commonly causes patients to lose their hair because it damages follicles in the process. The real challenge: designing an effective delivery method that squashes cancer growth but leaves surrounding cells healthy. Funnily enough, this toxin could end up saving human lives.Īnd it isn’t particularly difficult to create synthetic melittin in a lab, Pan says, which is optimal for drug development due to its convenience, quality control, and relative safety compared to crude natural sources. Most multicellular organisms have these peptides to ward off disease, including humans, but only some creatures weaponize them in the form of powerful venom. These animal poisons include toxins like melittin, which is considered a host defense peptide. “The philosophy of my research is biomimetics, or bringing inspiration from Mother Nature,” he says. A pioneering breakthrough may come from chemist and bioengineer Dipanjan Pan, who is currently looking into a melittin-based cancer therapy with his lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and University of Maryland School of Medicine.Īmid calls for safer, more successful cancer treatments, Pan inspected toad, scorpion and bee venom for answers. īut labs have struggled to conceive drug delivery methods over the past two decades because melittin quickly degrades in blood and is difficult to target toward specific cells. For these reasons, melittin may be useful in tackling diseases like cancer, COVID-19 and Lyme, along with infections like HIV. It’s now believed to confer a host of benefits, including immune system regulation and anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. These include melittin, a peptide found in the European honey bee’s venom that has attracted scientists’ attention since the 1950s. Bee venom contains several ingredients with pharmaceutical potential.
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