Application of Venom

The medicinal use of honey bee products is called apitherapy. This method of treating various diseases has been practised since ancient times. Bee venom therapy can be applied to a wide variety of medical conditions. Today apitherapy is used to help patients who suffer from arthritis or other inflammatory or degenerative diseases. Did you know that there are at least 18 active substances in the composition of honey bee venom?

The link Venom Extracts will take you to a table, containing detailed information on the contemporary use of substances extracted from poisonous plants and animals, such as their medical application and source, which they originate from.

In the future, animal venom may be used in medicine to treat serious illnesses. For example, a neurologist at the university of Alabama says that scorpion venom may soon be used to fight a currently incurable form of brain cancer, glioma. Harald Sontheimer isolated the peptide chlorotoxin from the venom of a giant Israeli Scorpion. The concept is to use the peptides to direct the action of chemotherapy agents only to the cancerous cells. 

Tarantula venom, too, may one day be used to treat various conditions, such as heart attacks and brain tumours. Follow the links on the left to read the entire articles and to find out curious facts that may become reality much sooner than you thought!