Recently, a team of scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine, USA, used nanoparticles carrying a toxin found in bee venom to destroy HIV without harming nearby cells.
The report was contained in the current issue of Antiviral Therapy.
Explaining the modus operandi, Dr. Samuel A. Wickline, one of the researchers said; "Bee venom contains a potent toxin called melittin that can poke holes in the protective envelope that surrounds HIV and other viruses. It has even shown melittin-loaded nanoparticles to be effective in killing tumor cells.
