Saturday, April 06, 2013
Vanguard (Nigeria), 4/4/2013
Scientists have discovered that apart from pollinating crops, producing honey, beeswax , propolis, pollen and royal jelly, bees could also be the solution to the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer.
Recently, a team of scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine, USA, used nanoparticles carrying a toxin found in bee venom to destroy HIV without harming nearby cells.
The report was contained in the current issue of Antiviral Therapy.
Explaining the modus operandi, Dr. Samuel A. Wickline, one of the researchers said; “Bee venom contains a potent toxin called melittin that can poke holes in the protective envelope that surrounds HIV and other viruses. It has even shown melittin-loaded nanoparticles to be effective in killing tumor cells.”…