Therapeutic effects of Apis mellifera and Pandinus Imperator venom on lung cancer: An In vitro study

Lung cancer persists as the leading cause of cancer incidences and mortalities worldwide, and is ranked 4th in Egypt. Globally, 2.1 million new lung cancer cases and 1.8 million deaths were reported in 2018, representing close to 1 in 5 (18.4%) cancer deaths. Venom components have been investigated for pharmacological activity as therapeutic agents. Intriguingly, several animal toxins have demonstrated profound anticancer properties. These include toxins purified from snake, bee and scorpion venoms effecting cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptotic activity and neovascularization. In this study, Apis mellifera (bee venom) and pandinus imperator (Scorpion venom) were assessed in terms of anti-cancer potential in vitro, in comparison to Staurosporine (a potent protein kinase inhibitor) on Hs57T cell lines. The cytotoxic, cell cycle arrest, and apoptotic effects were evaluated. The results demonstrated IC50 values for Apis mellifera and Pandinus imperator as 2.42 & 1.054 mu g/ml respectively. Both venoms exhibited significant apoptotic effects and cell cycle arrest potential at G2/M, as well as anti-tumor regulatory effects due EGFR, VEGFR2, and MMP-1 expression level decreased assessed via RT-qPCR in Hs57T cell lines.