by Australian study finds honey bee venom can destroy breast cancer
https://www.worthynews.com/52576-australian-study-finds-honey-bee-venom-can-destroy-breast-cancer
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A pioneering new study in Australia has shown that breast cancer cells can be quickly destroyed by the venom of honey bees, Study Finds reports. Dr. Ciara Duffy from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Western Australia has published a study in which she reports that honey bee venom not only destroys several kinds of breast cancer but also blocks the ability of cancerous cells to reproduce.
Published in the Precision Oncology journal, the study discovered that the stinger on honey bees produces melittin, a powerful compound that intercepts the growth and division of cancerous cell growth and division. The compound suppresses receptors that overexpress themselves in triple-negative breast cancer and HER2-enriched breast cancer, Study Finds said.
According to study researchers, melittin could also be used in cancer treatments, including chemotherapy. The study found that melittin creates tiny holes in the breast cancer cell membrane, through which cancer drugs may be able to enter the cell and kill the disease inside. “We found that melittin can be used with small molecules or chemotherapies, such as docetaxel, to treat highly-aggressive types of breast cancer. The combination of melittin and docetaxel was extremely efficient in reducing tumor growth in mice,” Duffy said in a press release.
Moreover, melittin was found to act very quickly: “The venom was extremely potent. We found that melittin can completely destroy cancer cell membranes within 60 minutes,” Duffy added.
The study found that while a concentrated dose of the venom killed all cancer cells it was applied to, the compound did not affect healthy cells. “This study demonstrates how melittin interferes with signaling pathways within breast cancer cells to reduce cell replication. It provides another wonderful example of where compounds in nature can be used to treat human diseases,” Professor Peter Klinkenhe from the University of Western Australia said in a statement.
*******
California Passes Bill to Soften Criminal Penalties for LGBT Adults Who Have Sex with Minors
https://www.worthynews.com/52578-california-passes-bill-to-soften-criminal-penalties-for-lgbt-adults-who-have-sex-with-minors
(Worthy News) – The Democrat-led California General Assembly has OK’d legislation that would ease the criminal punishments for LGBT adults who sodomize or perform oral sex on underage teenagers.
S.B. 145 was introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D), who is openly gay, and was approved by the state Senate in a 23-10 vote and passed by the Assembly in a 41-18 vote, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), which is likely, the legislation will require judges to use discretion in assigning an individual to the sex offender registry if their victim is between the ages of 14 and 17 and the age difference of the offender and victim is no more than 10 years.
*******
U.S. trade deficit surged in July to highest in 12 years
https://www.worthynews.com/52592-u-s-trade-deficit-surged-in-july-to-highest-in-12-years
(Worthy News) – The U.S. trade deficit surged in July to $63.6 billion, the highest level in 12 years, as imports jumped by a record amount.
The Commerce Department reported that the July deficit, the gap between what America buys and what it sells to foreigners, was 18.9% higher than the June deficit of $53.5 billion. It was the largest monthly deficit since July 2008 during the 2007-2009 recession.
The July deficit increase was driven by a record 10.9% increase in imports which rose to $231.7 billion. Exports were also up but by a smaller 8.1% to $168.1 billion.