BEE VENOM KILLS/CURES EVERYTHING

By ALEX DUNBAR

Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are using melittin, the toxin in bee venom, to kill tumor cells. This would’ve been great news three or four years ago, before all the bees started dying off. It’s also hard to get too excited about cancer cures that utilize a poison strong enough to destroy any cell in high enough concentration by turning its internal structure into swiss cheese. Melittin’s no more a cure for cancer than it is a cure for bacteria, fungus, or any other living thing we’d like to see dead. What’s unique here is the method of application. By packaging the venom in nano-sized spheres, the researchers are able to deposit melittin onto tumor cells where it forms pores that disintegrate the cell. Still, the method looked pretty effective when used to cure cancer in lab mice: melanoma tumors treated with melittin decreased 88 percent compared to un-venomed tumors. So, just to keep you up on the score: Science: 1, Bees: 0, Lab Mice: -12,000,000,000.

By ALEX DUNBAR 2 years ago Like · Comment · Share