Bee Venom - Friend or Enemy

Abstract

Increasing resistance to antibiotics, adverse effects of standard anti-cancer or anti-inflammatory treatments, or tumour types resistant to these treatments are leading to a search for alternatives. One of these is the use of natural products, such as bee venom, which have the same or better effect than these standard products. Bee venom has been used to treat a number of diseases for thousands of years. However, a significant obstacle remains the risk of severe allergic reactions, which can be caused by some of the more than 100 substances contained in the venom. Therefore, intensive research is currently underway to investigate not only the actual use of bee venom or its components in the above areas, but also ways to prevent these adverse effects.