Venom from honeybees has been found to rapidly kill aggressive and hard-to-treat breast cancer cells, according to potentially ground-breaking new Australian research.
The research was published in the journal Nature Precision Oncology It found honeybee venom was effective in killing breast cancer cells.
It found honeybee venom was effective in killing breast cancer cells Researchers say the discovery is exciting but there is a long way to go.
The study also found when the venom's main component was combined with existing chemotherapy drugs, it was extremely efficient at reducing tumour growth in mice.
Dr Ciara Duffy from Western Australia's Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research has been undertaking the study.
Dr Duffy harvested venom from honeybee hives at the University of Western Australia, as well as from Ireland and England.
The researchers reproduced the melittin synthetically and found it mirrored the majority of the anti-cancer effects of the honeybee venom. »