Studies Prove Brazilian Wasp’s Venom Can Kill Cancer Cells

Wasps are usually called the killer version of bees, but little do people know, there are studies and research conducted that shows the possibility of a Brazilian wasp’s venom to kill cancer cells without harming the good ones. In a laboratory tests, the poison from Brazilian wasp prevents the notoriously drug-resistant leukemia from growing, as well as suppressing bladder and prostate cancers. This is very interesting work!

Wasps are feared by many, but laboratory tests shows that Brazilian wasp’s venom can kill cancer cells without harming the good ones. Check out the article we found at The Mind Unleashed.

New research published in the Biophysical Journal reveals that the venom of the Brazilian social wasp Polybia paulista contains a powerful anticancer ingredient. The toxin called MP1 (Polybia-MP1) is able to kill tumor cells without affecting healthy ones.

To study the mechanism behind this selective action, the research team created model cell membranes and exposed them to the toxin. With the use of imaging and biophysical techniques, it was found that MP1 selectively attacks cancer cells due to the abnormal distribution of lipids (fatty molecules), which are located on the outside of their protective membranes.

The cancer-targeting ingredient interacts with the lipids and distorts the structure of the cell membranes, creating gaping holes in them. As a result, molecules start leaking out of the membranes and cancer cells, unable to function without these molecules, eventually die.

At the same time, the toxin does not harm healthy cells because they have a different arrangement of lipids, which are found on the cell’s inner membrane and not on the outside.

According to Dr. Paul Beales, professor at the University of Leeds and co-author of the study, cancer therapies that involve the interaction with the lipids of the tumor cell membranes could become “an entirely new class of anticancer drugs.”

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