Repost By @4biddenknowledge Brazilian #WaspVenom Kills #Cancer Cells, But Not Healthy Cells. Wasps get their fair share of bad press. They have painful stingers, and they're not as useful (or cute) to us as bees. However, their time to step in the spotlight may be justĀ around the corner: Their venom has been shown to attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. The cancer-targeting toxin in the wasp is called MP1 (Polybia-MP1) and until now, how itĀ selectively eliminates cancer cells was unknown. According to new research, it exploits the atypical arrangement of fats, or lipids, in cancer cell membranes. Their abnormal distributionĀ creates weakĀ points whereĀ the toxin can interact with the lipids, which ultimately pokesĀ gaping holes in the membrane. These are sufficiently large for essential molecules to start leaking out,Ā like proteins, which the cell cannot function without. The waspĀ responsible for producing this toxin is theĀ Polybia paulista.Ā The toxin has so far been tested on model membranes and examined using a broad range of imaging techniques. You can see the team's research results in theĀ Biophysical Journal. http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/brazilian-wasp-venom-kills-cancer-cells-not-healthy-cells/ #4biddenKnowledge Song is Affirmations Mediation by @4biddenknowledge and @RichVagner NOW AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE (at Los Angeles, California)
