Switch to हिंदी

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

हिंदी
  • Health A-Z
  • Diabetes
  • Diseases
    • Type 1 Diabetes
    • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Cancer
    • Heart Attack
    • Pneumonia
    • Diseases A-Z
  • Diet & Fitness
    • Weight Management
    • Exercise & Body Building
    • Diet & Recipes
    • Yoga
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Pregnancy
    • Conceiving
    • Infertility
    • Labour & Delivery
    • Pregnancy week-by-week
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby Names
  • Beauty
    • Skin
    • Hair
    • Grooming
  • Photos
  • Videos
Home / Diseases & Conditions / Could bee venom be the AIDS cure we are looking for?

Could bee venom be the AIDS cure we are looking for?

A new study suggests that bee venom might have the potency to kill the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have demonstrated that a toxin ca

By: Nirmalya Dutta   | | Updated: June 4, 2014 6:23 pm
Tags: AIDS cure  Antiretroviral therapy  Bee venom  Berlin Patient  HIV Cure  HIV/AIDS cure  Nano particles  

HIVA new study suggests that bee venom might have the potency to kill the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have demonstrated that a toxin called melittin which is found in bee venom is the reason for this. The researchers used nanoparticle technology to target the virus. Particles smaller than HIV were infused with bee venom and since HIV cells are smaller than normal body cells the nanoparticles only targeted HIV. Also Read - Sexually transmitted diseases: Natural remedies to treat STDs at home

‘Melittin on the nanoparticles fuses with the viral envelope,’ said research instructor Joshua L. Hood, MD, PhD. ‘The melittin forms little pore-like attack complexes and ruptures the envelope, stripping it off the virus.’ Adding, ‘We are attacking an inherent physical property of HIV. Theoretically, there isn’t any way for the virus to adapt to that. The virus has to have a protective coat, a double-layered membrane that covers the virus.’ Also Read - Breakthrough discovery: Honeybee venom could help treat triple-negative breast cancer



How will this help? Also Read - Second patient declared ‘cured of HIV’ after staying virus-free for 30 months

This could be used to develop a vaginal gel to prevent HIV transmission while it could also be used as an intravenous treatment to help those that have been already infected.  ‘Our hope is that in places where HIV is running rampant, people could use this gel as a preventive measure to stop the initial infection,’ said Hood.

The bee venom HIV study was published on Thursday in the journal Antiviral Therapy, according to U.S. News & World Report.

HIV/AIDS cure inevitable?

The momentum to find a cure for HIV seems to be gathering steam with a recent example being the case of the Mississippi baby that was completely cured of the virus by an aggressive bout of anti-HIV drugs which were administered 30 hours after her birth. The mother was diagnosed with HIV when she was in labour. Now, 2 years later the baby has shown no signs of infection and seems to completely HIV-free.

 Earlier, a man known as the Berlin patient was cured of the virus with a bone marrow transplant. The man called Timothy Brown had developed leukaemia (blood cancer) and after the first line of cancer treatments failed a bone marrow transplant procedure was done. Two transplants later, not only was his leukaemia in remission but his immune system had actually managed to ward off the virus. Brown no longer takes. Brown no longer takes antiretroviral drugs or tests positive for HIV. For all intents and purpose, Brown no longer has HIV.

However, bone marrow transplants can never become a widespread procedure for the millions suffering from HIV because finding the perfect donor is very hard and the procedure is too costly for people in third world countries where the disease has reached epidemic proportions.

 But we can all hope that a cure is in the offing. After all when the disease first reared its ugly head HIV was a sure death knell. Randy Shilts, author of the And The Band Played On –  a definitive work on the early HIV epidemic had said that by the 90s AIDS would become a manageable disease like diabetes and while his prediction was 20 years but anti-retroviral treatments these days has indeed made HIV a manageable disease. Will there be a cure and vaccine in the future? It seems inevitable.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hiv/aids.

For more articles on hiv/aids, visit our hiv/aids section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

Published : March 10, 2013 10:16 am | Updated:June 4, 2014 6:23 pm
Read Disclaimer

Vijender and I mistook heroin for a food supplement: Sparring partner Ram Singh

Vijender and I mistook heroin for a food supplement: Sparring partner Ram Singh

International Women's Day 2013: Aren't you ashamed to be Indian?

International Women's Day 2013: Aren't you ashamed to be Indian?

Please Wait. Article Loading ....

Coronavirus Updates

Coronavirus Updates

Stay Informed, Be Safe

  • Catastrophic moral failure: WHO warns against unequal COVID-19 vaccine distribution
  • COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India surge to 10,571,773 while death toll reaches 1,52,419
  • Vegetarians are at lesser risk of getting infected by Covid-19 virus: Study
  • Vaccine side-effects will not result in death: AIIMS Director
  • 47% of first beneficiaries in Delhi skipped Day 1 Covid-19 vaccination: Here’s why

Health Calculators

BMI Calculator
bmi Calculator
Ideal Body Weight
ideal body weight
Daily Calorie Intake
Daily calorie intake
Calories Burned
calories burned

Related Stories

Sexually transmitted diseases: Natural remedies to treat STDs at home

Sexually transmitted diseases: Natural remedies to treat STDs at home

Breakthrough discovery: Honeybee venom could help treat triple-negative breast cancer

Breakthrough discovery: Honeybee venom could help treat triple-negative breast cancer

Second patient declared ‘cured of HIV’ after staying virus-free for 30 months

Second patient declared ‘cured of HIV’ after staying virus-free for 30 months

HIV/AIDS: Common myths about the condition busted

HIV/AIDS: Common myths about the condition busted

Human trials for long-lasting HIV vaccine to start soon

Human trials for long-lasting HIV vaccine to start soon

Health News in Hindi

पीरियड्स आगे बढ़ाने के लिए गोलियां नहीं! काम आएंगे ये 5 घरेलू तरीके, बिना साइड-इफेक्ट के आगे बढ़ेगी डेट

भारत बायोटेक ने किया आगाह, कहा- “जिनकी इम्‍युनिटी कमजोर है वो न लगाएं Covaxin का टीका”

Home Treatment For Piles: घर में ही होगा पाइल्स का पक्का इलाज, बस करने होंगे आपको ये 5 आसान काम

आंखों में दर्द के साथ लगे ये 3 परेशानियां तो आपको हुआ है कोरोना, वैज्ञानिकों ने बताया कोरोना का नया लक्षण

Covid-19 Infection Risk: सर्वे में हुआ चौंकाने वाला खुलासा, शाकाहारियों और स्मोकर्स को है कोविड-19 इंफेक्शन का ख़तरा कम !

Read All

Recent Posts

  • Mitral regurgitation: How advanced technologies provide a glimmer of hope for patients
  • Catastrophic moral failure: WHO warns against unequal COVID-19 vaccine distribution
  • COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India surge to 10,571,773 while death toll reaches 1,52,419
  • Avoid alcohol during Covid-19 vaccination: Experts explain why
  • Irritable bowel syndrome: Why IBS patients experience abdominal pain after eating certain foods?

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com
+91 – 22 – 6697 1234
Landline Phone number 91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

Useful Links

  • Weight Loss
  • Keto Diet Tips
  • Skin Care Tips
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Ashwagandha
  • Cancer
  • Pneumonia
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dengue
  • Typhoid
  • Tuberculosis
  • Chickenpox
  • Chikungunya
  • Depression
  • Hepatitis
  • Diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Swine Flu
  • Baby Names
  • Cough and cold
  • Heart Attack
  • Breast Cancer
  • Ebola Virus
  • Dengue
  • Malaria
  • International Yoga Day
  • Hypotension
  • Heart Failure
  • Asthma
  • Brain Tumour
  • Celebrity Fitness
  • Goitre
  • HIV/AIDS

We respect your privacy

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Author Profiles

Copyright © 2021 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved.