Abstract
Honey bees can be found all around the world and fulfill key pollination roles within their natural ecosystems, as well as in agriculture. Most species are typically docile, and most interactions between humans and bees are unproblematic, despite their ability to inject a complex venom into their victims as a defensive mechanism. Nevertheless, incidences of bee stings have been on the rise since the accidental release of Africanized bees to Brazil in 1956 and their subsequent spread across the Americas. These bee hybrids are more aggressive and are prone to attack, presenting a significant healthcare burden to the countries they have colonized. To date, treatment of such stings typically focuses on controlling potential allergic reactions, as no specific antivenoms against bee venom currently exist. Researchers have investigated the possibility of developing bee antivenoms, but this has been complicated by the very low immunogenicity of the key bee toxins, which fail to induce a strong antibody response in the immunized animals. However, with current cutting-edge technologies, such as phage display, alongside the rise of monoclonal antibody therapeutics, the development of a recombinant bee antivenom is achievable, and promising results towards this goal have been reported in recent years. Here, current knowledge on the venom biology of Africanized bees and current treatment options against bee envenoming are reviewed. Additionally, recent developments within next-generation bee antivenoms are presented and discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2090 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Immunology |
| Volume | 10 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISSN | 1664-3224 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
Keywords
- Bee allergy
- Bee antivenom
- Bee envenoming
- Bee therapy
- Bee toxins
- Bee venom
Cite this
}
Bee Updated: Current Knowledge on Bee Venom and Bee Envenoming Therapy. / Pucca, Manuela B.; Cerni, Felipe A.; Oliveira, Isadora S.; Jenkins, Timothy P.; Argemí, Lídia; Sørensen, Christoffer V.; Ahmadi, Shirin; Barbosa, José E.; Laustsen, Andreas H.
In: Frontiers in Immunology, Vol. 10, 2090, 2019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Bee Updated: Current Knowledge on Bee Venom and Bee Envenoming Therapy
AU - Pucca, Manuela B.
AU - Cerni, Felipe A.
AU - Oliveira, Isadora S.
AU - Jenkins, Timothy P.
AU - Argemí, Lídia
AU - Sørensen, Christoffer V.
AU - Ahmadi, Shirin
AU - Barbosa, José E.
AU - Laustsen, Andreas H.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Honey bees can be found all around the world and fulfill key pollination roles within their natural ecosystems, as well as in agriculture. Most species are typically docile, and most interactions between humans and bees are unproblematic, despite their ability to inject a complex venom into their victims as a defensive mechanism. Nevertheless, incidences of bee stings have been on the rise since the accidental release of Africanized bees to Brazil in 1956 and their subsequent spread across the Americas. These bee hybrids are more aggressive and are prone to attack, presenting a significant healthcare burden to the countries they have colonized. To date, treatment of such stings typically focuses on controlling potential allergic reactions, as no specific antivenoms against bee venom currently exist. Researchers have investigated the possibility of developing bee antivenoms, but this has been complicated by the very low immunogenicity of the key bee toxins, which fail to induce a strong antibody response in the immunized animals. However, with current cutting-edge technologies, such as phage display, alongside the rise of monoclonal antibody therapeutics, the development of a recombinant bee antivenom is achievable, and promising results towards this goal have been reported in recent years. Here, current knowledge on the venom biology of Africanized bees and current treatment options against bee envenoming are reviewed. Additionally, recent developments within next-generation bee antivenoms are presented and discussed.
AB - Honey bees can be found all around the world and fulfill key pollination roles within their natural ecosystems, as well as in agriculture. Most species are typically docile, and most interactions between humans and bees are unproblematic, despite their ability to inject a complex venom into their victims as a defensive mechanism. Nevertheless, incidences of bee stings have been on the rise since the accidental release of Africanized bees to Brazil in 1956 and their subsequent spread across the Americas. These bee hybrids are more aggressive and are prone to attack, presenting a significant healthcare burden to the countries they have colonized. To date, treatment of such stings typically focuses on controlling potential allergic reactions, as no specific antivenoms against bee venom currently exist. Researchers have investigated the possibility of developing bee antivenoms, but this has been complicated by the very low immunogenicity of the key bee toxins, which fail to induce a strong antibody response in the immunized animals. However, with current cutting-edge technologies, such as phage display, alongside the rise of monoclonal antibody therapeutics, the development of a recombinant bee antivenom is achievable, and promising results towards this goal have been reported in recent years. Here, current knowledge on the venom biology of Africanized bees and current treatment options against bee envenoming are reviewed. Additionally, recent developments within next-generation bee antivenoms are presented and discussed.
KW - Bee allergy
KW - Bee antivenom
KW - Bee envenoming
KW - Bee therapy
KW - Bee toxins
KW - Bee venom
U2 - 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02090
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02090
M3 - Journal article
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Immunology
JF - Frontiers in Immunology
SN - 1664-3224
M1 - 2090
ER -