Researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) have designed a therapy based on a peptide – amino acid binding – from wasp venom for potential use against breast cancer. In vitro experiments show that the substance distributes properly within tumor cells and causes their death, while healthy cells, such as red blood cells, remain spared.
Although the results, which have been published in the Journal of Controlled Release, look promising, still very preliminary. The next step is to check its efficacy in in vivo tests in mice. The authors are very optimistic that the research will be successful and that this antitumor system can be used in the future as a complementary therapy to existing ones.