According to an Australian study, a compound present in bee and bumblebee venom has the ability to destroy aggressive cancer cells, including those of triple-negative breast cancer.
- A compound found in bee venom, melittin, has the ability to destroy cancer cells without damaging normal cells.
- Melittin is also able to reduce the chemical messages of cancer cells, essential for the growth and replication of tumors.
Indispensable for the pollination of wildflowers and crops, bees play an essential role in our ecosystem. According to a new study, they could also be valuable allies in the fight against cancer.
In a study published in the journal Nature Precision Oncologyresearchers from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and the University of Western Australia (Australia) have discovered the power of the venom of these insects on cancer cells, and in particular on those of triple negative breast cancer, it that is to say without any known marker on the surface of the cancerous cells, and therefore responds with difficulty to targeted therapies.
According to Dr. Ciara Duffy, lead author of the work, this is the first study in more than 70 years to analyze the anticancer properties of bee venom and one of these compounds, melittin. “No one had previously compared the effects of bee venom or melittin on all the different subtypes of breast cancer and on normal cells.explains the researcher. We tested bee venom on normal breast cells and on cells of clinical breast cancer subtypes: hormone receptor positive, HER2-enriched breast cancer (a protein specific to an aggressive form of breast cancer, editor’s note) and triple negative.
An interruption of tumor signaling pathways
To analyze the anticancer properties of bee venom, the researchers collected venom from bees in Perth, Australia, as well as other bee populations in Ireland and England, and from bumblebees. A total of 312 species were analyzed. “I found that the European 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.underlines assistant professor Pilar Blancafort, who participated in the study.
On the contrary, bee venom turned out to be “extremely powerful”inducing the death of 100% of cancer cells, while having minimal effects on normal cells. “We found that melittin can completely destroy cancer cell membranes within 60 minutes”rejoices Dr. Duffy.
With her team, she also found that melittin was able to reduce the chemical messages of cancer cells in 20 minutes. “We looked at how bee venom and melittin affect cancer signaling pathways, the chemical messages that are fundamental for cancer cell growth and reproduction, and we found that these signaling pathways were very quickly interrupted. .”
A combined effect with chemotherapy
The effect of this compound is particularly interesting on triple negative breast cancers and on HER2 cancers, two aggressive forms of breast cancer. “Melittin modulated signaling in breast cancer cells by suppressing activation of the receptor that is commonly overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer, the epidermal growth factor receptor, and it suppressed activation of HER2 which is overexpressed in HER2-enriched breast cancer.”
For the research team, these initial findings are all the more encouraging since melittin can be used in addition to chemotherapy drugs such as docetaxel to improve the destruction of cancer cells. Tested on mice, this combination proved “extremely effective in reducing the growth of rumors”write the researchers.
Now, they are working to assess the optimal method of administration of melittin, as well as toxicities and maximum tolerated doses to treat breast cancer.
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