Bee Sting News and Research

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Could a genetic biomarker predict your risk for severe food allergies?

Researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago have identified a genetic biomarker, α-tryptase, that may predict the severity of food allergy reactions. This discovery opens the door for new treatment strategies and offers a way to distinguish patients at risk for severe reactions.

21 Sep 2023

Australian bull ants' venom component exploits a pain pathway in mammals

Australian bull ants have evolved a venom molecule perfectly tuned to target one of their predators – the echidna – that also could have implications for people with long-term pain, University of Queensland researchers say.

2 Mar 2022

People with venom allergies are more likely to have bone marrow disorder

Researchers at Michigan Medicine found that people with venom allergies are much more likely to suffer mastocytosis, a bone marrow disorder that causes higher risk of fatal reactions.

19 May 2021

Researchers assess how social factors can influence pain responses

We take for granted the fact that feelings such as love, happiness, or pain are described with different words and expressions across languages. But are these differences in the ways we express these feelings in different languages also tied to differences in the sensations themselves?

1 Dec 2020

Snake venom did not evolve as a defense mechanism, research shows

It is estimated that every year, over 100,000 human deaths can be attributed to snakebite from the world's 700 venomous snake species - all inflicted in self-defense when the snakes feel threatened by encroaching humans.

25 Mar 2020

Novel vaccine against bee sting allergy successfully tested

A recently completed trial on a bee sting vaccine containing a novel adjuvant called Advax to increase its efficacy has raised hopes that severe allergic reactions, sometimes fatal, to bee venom in allergic people could soon be a thing of the past. The vaccine was designed to neutralize the venom of the European honeybee.

17 Jul 2019

Major allergens strongly underrepresented in some immunotherapy against bee stings

Summer is approaching, and for many allergy sufferers this means it is time to start fearing bee stings. "Allergic reactions to insect venoms are potentially life-threatening, and constitute one of the most severe hypersensitivity reactions," explains PD Dr. Simon Blank, research group leader at the Center of Allergy & Environment, a joint undertaking by the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the TUM.

17 May 2017

UCI chemists develop cheap, effective way to neutralize deadly snake venom

Chemists at the University of California, Irvine have developed a way to neutralize deadly snake venom more cheaply and effectively than with traditional anti-venom -- an innovation that could spare millions of people the loss of life or limbs each year.

7 Mar 2017

Pennsylvania physicians urge residents to take precautions against bug bites, bee stings

For many people, bug bites and bee stings aren't a big deal beyond a small irritation. But for some, it could mean the start of a painful - possibly long-term or even deadly - experience.

1 Jun 2015

Research findings could improve fight against some infections, auto-immune diseases

A team of international scientists has discovered a new mechanism by which immune cells in the skin function as the body's 'border control', revealing how these cells sense whether lipid or fat-like molecules might indicate the presence of foreign invaders.

4 Feb 2015

Wake Forest Baptist Physician offers tips to prevent bites and rashes in summer

When summer rolls around, nothing beats soaking up the rays, hiking in a forest or playing Frisbee with the family … until a mosquito, bee or poisonous plant ruins the fun.

28 Jun 2014

Taking precautions to protect health during summer

Summer is a time for enjoying warm weather, but spending time outside also increases the risk of contracting serious conditions like Lyme disease, poison ivy rashes, West Nile virus and allergic reactions to bee stings.

31 May 2013

New nanosponge safely removes dangerous toxins from bloodstream

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have invented a "nanosponge" capable of safely removing a broad class of dangerous toxins from the bloodstream - including toxins produced by MRSA, E. coli, poisonous snakes and bees.

15 Apr 2013

Egg allergy treatment for children: an interview with Dr Robert Wood

The tendency to get allergies is a fairly general one, which is mostly inherited – it tends to run in families. There are several foods that are most common for children to become allergic to: milk, egg and peanuts in most countries are the most common food allergies.

23 Jul 2012

Tips to help allergy sufferers survive the winds of spring and summer

Every spring and summer, millions of Americans dread the trip to the park or the playground and will do anything to avoid activities that trigger outdoor allergies.

14 May 2012

Checklist to stay healthy and active in summer

The summer is a great season for getting in shape. Whether by playing a sport, doing an aerobic exercise routine, or just returning to that familiar running path -- this is the time for activity.

2 Jul 2011

Scientists develop plastic antibody that works in bloodstream of living animal

Scientists are reporting the first evidence that a plastic antibody - an artificial version of the proteins produced by the body's immune system to recognize and fight infections and foreign substances - works in the bloodstream of a living animal. The discovery, they suggest in a report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is an advance toward medical use of simple plastic particles custom tailored to fight an array of troublesome "antigens."

10 Jun 2010