There has been much reporting in the press this week of new trials using ‘nanobees’ that effectively sting cancerous tumours to death. The poisonous chemical in a bee sting, melittin, is attached to ‘nanoparticles’ (tiny molecules) which are in turn injected into the patient. The melittin attacks cancerous cells, but leaves healthy cells alone. So, one of the potential advantages of this form of treatment over chemotherapy is that it is more targeted, meaning doses could be lower with far fewer side effects. Tests on groups of mice with cancerous breast tumours showed that after 4-5 injections of melittin-carrying nanobees over several days, the growth of these tumours was slowed by nearly 25%. The team working on these studies plan to start human trials next year.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on 10th August 2009.
Read more about these trials at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6790927.ece
and
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174226.htm
12th July 2009
Monday 17 August 2009
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