The venom from European honeybees has been found to be "remarkably effective" at killing hard-to-treat aggressive breast cancer cells, according to researchers in Western Australia.
According to the German News Agency (dpa), the study conducted by the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research used the venom of 312 honeybees and bumblebees to investigate its anti-cancer properties.
The team found that the venom not only rapidly induced the death of triple-negative breast cancer and enriched breast cancer cells, but also did so at concentrations that do not harm normal cells.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 10% to 15% of all breast cancers, the institute stated. There are currently no clinically effective targeted treatments for TNBC.
"The venom was extremely potent. We found that melittin can completely destroy cancer cell membranes within 60 minutes," lead researcher Ciara Duffy said in a post on the institute's website Wednesday.
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women worldwide.
