Application of bee venom to cancer

Application of bee venom to cancer
mahsa taghavi,¹ mojtaba mortazavi,^2,*
1. Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
2. Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
Introduction: Bee venom (BV) (api-toxin) has been widely used in the treatment of some immune-related diseases and more recently in the treatment of tumors. Several cancer cells, including kidney, prostate, lung, bladder, and liver cancer as well as leukemia cells, can be targets of bee venom peptides such as melitin and phospholipase A2. The effects of cellular toxicity through the activation of prostaglandin PLA2 by melintin have been identified as an important mechanism for anti-cancer BV activity. Induction of apoptotic cell death by several mechanisms causes the death of cancer cells, which are activated by the activity of the caspase and matrix metalloproteinases, which are important for anti-cancer activity due to myelin. Combining cellular leptin peptide (melitin) with hormone and gene carriers of melitin carrier can be useful as a new treatment for some types of cancer, such as breast and prostate cancer.
Methods: Based on previous studies, in fact, melittin is known as a non-specific cytolytic peptide that can attack the lipid layer. Therefore, if injected intravenously, it can cause significant toxicity. Park et al., also reported that BV and its main component, melittin, inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory and inside the body by activating the pathways of caspases (3 and 9). It inhibits NF-κB signaling and its downstream reproductions, and produces anti-apoptotic gene products such as Bcl-2, cIAP-2, iNOS, COX-2, and cPLA2.
Results: However, many optimization methods have been used as malignant nanoparticles in pharmaceuticals. Significantly, raw BV, as well as the militancy of antitumor activity against a variety of cancer cells have been shown.
Conclusion: According to these studies, melittin inhibits HCC cells in vitro and in vivo with the help of Rac1. In addition, the combination of melatonin with a chemotherapeutic agent such as temozolomide significantly reduces growth along with melanoma cell invasion.
Keywords: Melitin. PLA2. Cancer. Bee venom