Bee venom ‘dampens down a major driver of eczema’
Could BEE POISON hold the key for millions of eczema sufferers? Insect’s venom ‘dampens down a major driver of the skin condition’
- Experts at the Catholic University of Daegu in South Korea made the discovery
- The protein, called melittin, could be added to creams in future, the team say
- Laboratory tests on mice and human cells showed melittin relieves eczema
- The team say it boosts the activity of vital immune cells that defend the body
Hope has today been raised for millions of eczema patients after scientists found bee venom could beat the misery of the condition.
South Korean research found a protein abundant in the insect’s poison dampens down inflammation – the key driver of red, cracked and itchy skin.
The protein, called melittin, could be added to creams in future to relieve the painful symptoms of the skin condition, researchers believe.
South Korean research found a protein abundant in the insect’s poison dampens down inflammation – the key driver of red, cracked and itchy skin
Experts at the Catholic University of Daegu – the fourth largest city in the Asian country – were behind the new discovery.
Laboratory tests on mice and human cells showed melittin relieves eczema by boosting vital immune cells that defend the body, called T cells.
However, researchers led by Dr Hyun-Jin An admitted they remain baffled as to exactly how melittin can combat eczema.
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But the team said the results suggest ‘bee venom and melittin would be suitable for skin application’ for patients with the skin condition.
Around six million people suffer from eczema in Britain, while the figure is in excess of 35 million in the US, figures suggest.
Eczema is the most common allergic inflammatory skin condition and its root cause has mystified dermatologists for decades.
WHAT IS ECZEMA?
Eczema is an inflammatory condition of the skin that leads to redness, blistering, oozing, scaling and thickening.
It usually appears in the first few months of life and affects around 10 per cent of babies.
Eczema’s cause is not fully understood but it is thought to be brought on by the skin’s barrier to the outside world not working properly, which allows irritants and allergy-inducing substances to enter.
It may be genetic due to the condition often running in families.
As well as their skin being affected, sufferers may experience insomnia and irritability.
Many factors can make eczema worse. These may include:
- Heat, dust, soap and detergents
- Being unwell, such as having a cold
- Infections
- Dry skin
- Stress
There is no cure for eczema, however, 70 per cent of childhood sufferers no longer have the condition in their teens.
Patients should avoid known triggers for flare ups and use emollients.
Source: British Skin Foundation
They now believe the condition is triggered by a range of genetic, environmental and immunological factors.
Scientific advances in recent years have led to scientists floating the ideas of an eventual eczema cure – but it remains incurable.
Anti-inflammatory steroid creams are the most common therapy for sufferers. However, they are potent and can cause side effects.
The new study, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, could change that and lead to a better cream with less side effects.
Dr An said: ‘This study demonstrated bee venom and melittin have immune-modulatory activity.
‘Such activity was associated with the regulation of T helper cell differentiation, thereby ameliorating… eczema.
‘These results suggest bee venom and melittin would be suitable for skin application, as topical administration is often applicable for the treatment of eczema.’
Bee venom, full of various peptides, has also been found to poss anti-bacterial, anti-viral and even anti-cancer properties.
While melittin – which makes up half of it – has pain-relief effects and has been proven to offer relief for arthritis patients in lab trials.
The new study follows a major breakthrough in eczema research last year, when a potential cause of the condition was discovered.
Newcastle University experts discovered that sufferers are missing a vital protein called filaggrin in their skin.
This then drives the development of the debilitating condition, they wrote at the time in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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