Nanotechnology mediated bee venom: Applications in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Bee venom has made medicinal progress, specifically, with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer treatment. However, in spite of this therapy being rooted in the treatment of inflammatory disease, bee venom has made little progress in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). This substance is both simple and complex in chemical structure, and a few significant obstacles are limiting the effectiveness of the venom in arthritic patients. Primarily, the non-specific cytotoxicity of the venom can negatively affect the surrounding cells of the target, and the known degradation of bee venom, before it reaches the target cells, reduces the potency. One promising way to circumvent these issues would be through nanotechnology. Nanoparticles have a high surface area and, in conjunction with proper functionalization, can be used to derive the Melittin and other beneficial components of bee venom into an effective treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis. The primary goal of this work is to study contemporary nanoparticles used in drug delivery and do a comparative study on the bee venom and the nanoparticles, helping to develop bee venom into a viable clinical treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Graphical Abstract