Bee Updated: Current Knowledge on Bee Venom and Bee Envenoming Therapy

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.

Keywords: bee allergy; bee antivenom; bee envenoming; bee therapy; bee toxins; bee venom.

Figure 1

Current and predicted future spread of Africanized honey bees in the Americas.

Figure 2

The bee sting apparatus. (A) The venom apparatus consists of three functionally distinct parts: (1) The venom-related part is composed of a venom sac, two venom glands, and a bulb. (2) The motor part is composed of muscles, plates, and ramus on each side. (3) The piercing part is composed of two lancets and a stylet (note: the stylet cannot be observed in this figure since the longitudinal section has passed from the middle of the venom canal that leaves the stylet on the upper section). (B) Barbs anchor the stinger into the skin, from where the stinger cannot be retracted when the bee escapes (i.e., sting autotomy).

Figure 3

Melittin-induced pore formation model. Melittin can bind to the membrane either in a parallel orientation (1) or a perpendicular orientation (2). The perpendicular orientation induces pore formation, whereas the parallel orientation is inactive. Parallel orientation has also been hypothesized to protect the membrane, since this prevents other melittin molecules from forming pores. Figure adapted from van den Bogaart et al. (90).

Figure 4

Treatment for bee sting(s). Bees incidents can involve few stings, which can cause local reactions or anaphylactic shock, which request a treatment similar to any allergic reactions (in green). However, mass stinging events can prove life-threatening via the toxic action of the venom when injected in large amounts, which demands intensive treatment (in purple). Although specific treatment is not available so far, only few antivenom researchers are working on developing new therapies against bee envenoming.