Use bee venom to treat atopic dermatitis

Korean and Australian scientists have proposed using melittin, the main ingredient of honey bee venom to treat atopic dermatitis.

According to the British Journal of Pharmacology, atopic dermatitis , which is an inflammatory skin disease that usually persuades patients throughout their lives, periodically disappears or worsens. Various factors, especially allergens, are the cause.

Melittin - The main ingredient of bee venom helps treat atopic dermatitis - (Photo: Flickr).

Researchers differentiate genetic, pharmacological and psychological trends in atopic dermatitis. To relieve symptoms of atopic dermatitis, people use different creams, including corticosteroid creams, lighting therapy, calcineurin inhibitors and immunosuppressants like cyclosporine A.

These methods help reduce inflammation, but still have certain side effects. Sometimes natural toxins of plant and animal origin are also used as treatments for atopic dermatitis. Scientists from Daegu Catholic University, South Korea and Charles Sturt University, Australia, decided to test the effects of melittin, found in honey bee venom .

Bee venom contains a number of protein toxins, but melittin is the main component of bee venom, accounting for half of the dry weight. In mouse experiments and batches of human cell cultures, scientists have shown that melittin affects the mechanism of immune cell activity and ultimately inhibits inflammation.

Scientists combine the activity of melittin with the regulation of differentiation of T cells, playing an important role in organizing the immune response. Researchers claim that it is enough to treat atopic dermatitis just by applying it to the inflamed skin.