Bees to the Rescue

Click here to listen to this feature  

In our struggle against antibiotic resistance we are getting new help from bees.  Although bees are often associated with causing pain when they sting us, bee sting venom may turn out to be a healer rather than a cause of suffering.  Researchers at Queen's University in Belfast have found that bee sting venom contains a key component that can burst bacterial membranes.

A protein called melittin breaks open the membrane of all cells, including those in the human body.  The hope is that with some slight modification to its structure it could be used to kill antibiotic resistant bacteria.  One advantage of this approach is that the bee sting venom disrupts cell membranes so quickly that bacteria will find it very difficult to develop resistance to them.

There is another way in which bees are increasing the arsenal of treatments available to a doctor.  Researchers have found that honey made from the pollen of the manuka tree in New Zealand appears to be an effective treatment against bacterial infections that form biofilms.

If bacteria multiply above a certain level they can form the slimy mass known as a biofilm, which is particularly resistant to antibiotic treatment.  Dressings impregnated with manuka honey have effectively treated infections arising from such bacteria.

So next time you're listening to bees at work, be thankful that they are also creating a buzz in the world of antibiotic resistance.