Joseph A. Bellanti, MD, a professor of pediatrics and microbiology-immunology and director of the International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, has just concluded the first Phase I study of the safety of honey-bee venom extract as a possible treatment for patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. Below, Dr. Bellanti discusses the future of bee venom therapy for this debilitating autoimmune disorder.
Do you know where the idea of using bee venom as a therapy came from?
The use of bee venom goes back to antiquity, to the time of the ancient Greeks. And bee venom has been advocated not only for multiple sclerosis but also for rheumatoid arthritis. There may be some products of the immune system that are produced by the stinging insect or by the injection of these venoms that ameliorates these diseases. It's all anecdotal, and it's never been studied critically. I think ours is the only study that attempted to use the scientific method to critically examine the question.
Why you did you decide to study bee venom extract in people with MS?
There have been a lot of anecdotal reports suggesting that bee venom may be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis. So there's been a lot of media exposure and a large underground movement of patients who go to zealous lay practitioners who subject multiple sclerosis patients to multiple and repeated bee stings. Since we felt that this practice entailed a real risk of possible allergic reactions, some of which could be fatal, as well as the emotional and economic burdens of chasing false hopes, we felt properly conducted studies of safety and efficacy were needed.
