Bee Venom Nanoparticles can kill HIV

Researchers at Washington University have developed a more effective way of delivering an antiviral peptide from bee venom to HIV infected cells, which kill the HIV strains directly without harming healthy cells. Most techniques being developed to combat HIV work by preventing the virus from replicating and spreading to healthy cells. But according to website io9.com, the technique developed by Samuel Wickline and his Washington University team works by destroying the virus itself.  "We are attacking an inherent physical property of HIV," said Joshua L. Hood through a university statement, and a co-author of the study. "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." Melittin, a peptide found in bee venom, has the ability to degrade the protective protein envelope that surrounds the virus. The problem with this peptide though is in its free form it can kill the surrounding healthy cells at high doses and affect cell viability (the cell’s ability to perform its functions, replicate, and differentiate or transform into other types of cells) even at minute doses. To control and target melittin’s potency to HIV particles and HIV infected cells, they packed the peptide into nanoparticles. These particles were designed with peptide filters which allow only HIV particles to pass through the metillin, effectively destroying the virus. Other proteins and cell structures that are too big don’t pass through the filter and never come in contact with peptide. They have shown that melittin nanoparticles can safely and effectively reduce the levels of HIV strains CXCR4 and CCR5 in cell cultures. They also noticed that melittin nanoparticles captured more HIV particles than black nanoparticles, demonstrating how these particles can be used as an active form of treatment. The researchers hope to develop this technique into a vaginal gel that would help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. They also intend to use this technology for HIV positive couples who want to conceive. — DVM, GMA News