Brazilian wasp venom ‘can be effective in fighting cancer’

Research has shown the potential of a new approach to fighting cancer using the venom of a Brazilian wasp.

A collaboration between Sao Paulo State University in Brazil and the University of Leeds has examined how a toxin called MP1 from the social wasp Polybia paulista can selectively kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

It was shown that MP1 interacts with certain types of lipid that are abnormally distributed on the surface of cancer cells, creating holes that allow molecules crucial for cell function to leak out.

Further studies aim to alter MP1's amino acid sequence to examine how the peptide's structure relates to its function, as well as to further enhance the peptide's selectivity and potency for clinical purposes.

Co-senior study author Paul Beales of the University of Leeds said: "Cancer therapies that attack the lipid composition of the cell membrane would be an entirely new class of anticancer drugs. This could be useful in developing new combination therapies."