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(Scroll down for video) The fight against HIV just took a major step forward as bee venom was used to destroy HIV particles, according to a new study recently released.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, said on Friday that bee venom could be used to deliver a fatal attack to human immunodeficiency virus or HIV, according to results of a new study.
The study showed that melittin, a toxin found in the venom, can help penetrate the protective layer surrounding HIV particles and then destroy it.
"We are attacking an inherent part of HIV," research professor Dr. Joshua L. Hood, one of the study's authors, said in a statement. "Theoretically, there is no way for the virus to adapt to that. The virus has to have a protective layer, a bilayer membrane covering the virus," the researcher added.
The study by Hood and his team, published in the journal of Antiviral Therapy on Thursday, said their findings indicate melittin-loaded nanoparticles have the potential to be used against HIV infections that have resisted treatment through medication, as it can be injected into the body of a patient intravenously.
University officials said the study also points to the development of a vaginal gel that could stop the spread of HIV, which causes AIDS.
"Our hope is that in places where HIV is running rampant, people could use this gel as a preventative measure to stop the initial infection," Hood said.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view
