A latest study published in the Nature Partner Journal Precision Oncology, reveals a molecular mechanism by which the biomolecular components of honeybee (Ais mellifera) can induce cell death, especially in certain types of breast cancers, such as aggressive triple-negative and HER2-enriched breast cancer subtypes.
For the study, the venom from the workers bees and queen bees was collected from several populations of Apid bees, from Perth, Australia. Honeybee venom and its major component, melittin peptide were assessed in experiments with cell lines representative of the intrinsic breast cancer subtypes and in non-transformed cells.
The honeybee venom showed a high anticancer activity, with a significantly higher potency in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and HER2-enriched breast cancer cell lines, with the lowest impact on normal cells. Likewise, melittin was significantly more potent against HER2-enriched breast cancer and TNBC compared to normal cells.
According to the study, honeybee venom and melittin interfere with certain chemical reactions in the body, thereby supressing the breast cancer cells.
Therefore, the findings of this study propose a molecular mechanism underpinning the anticancer selectivity of melittin, and outlines treatment strategies to target aggressive breast cancers.
Source: Precision Oncology volume 4, Article number: 24 (2020)
Source link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41698-020-00129-0