BEE VENOM--- Is this the thing that Nature provided us to fight the deadliest HIV

 

Can this treatment give the toughest fight for the most typical and deadly virus ever known to science???

According to a new report in the journal Antiviral Therapy, researchers from the Washington University in St. Louis have found that nanoparticles loaded with bee venom are capable of destroying the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while leaving the body’s cells unharmed. In a radical departure from traditional attempts to treat HIV, the research team says that the nanoparticles could be used to develop a prophylactic gel capable of stopping the spread of AIDS.The key ingredient in bee venom is a toxin called melittin, which is able to break through the tough protective envelope that surrounds viruses like HIV. Besides being effective against viruses, other research has shown that melittin-loaded nanoparticles are also effective tumor-cell assassins.

               In addition to killing viruses, the new study is promising because it shows that the nanoparticles do not harm normal cells. To accomplish this, the research team engineered protective ‘bumpers’ to the nanoparticles’ surface so that the particles harmlessly bounce off when they come into contact with much larger body cells.However, since viruses are much smaller than the nanoparticle, the HIV viral bodies slip between the bumpers, allowing bee toxin to access the virus.

 How conventional HIV drugs work:-

                 The traditional way that most anti-HIV drugs work, which is by "inhibiting the virus’s ability to reproduce" The conventional strategy is not efficient because it does not put down the initial infection, and some strains have been found to reproduce anyway.

How This treatment with bee venom work:-

                   In this treatment the inherent physical property of HIV i.e.,double layered membrane that covers the virus.

The Melittin can breakthrough the tough membrane and can have access to the virus.The new HIV treatment was made possible by the nanoparticle delivery mechanism, which was developed in previous experiments for other purposes.The basic particle that scientists are using in these experiments was developed many years ago as an artificial blood product.

Future Scope:-

                    This treatment is not HIV specific similar mechanisms can be used in the treatment several other deadly diseases like hepatitis B and C which have the same kind of defensive envelope and would be also potentially be susceptible to melittin-loaded nanoparticles...