Do beehives hold the key to prostate cancer treatment?

Beehives could be the source of a potential new prostate cancer treatment, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the University of Chicargo Medicine claim that caffeic acid phenethyl ester, or CAPE as it is commonly known, can arrest the growth of prostate cancer cells and tumours.

CAPE, often used in over the counter drugs, is a compound derived from honeybee hive propolis, which is the resin used by bees to patch up holes.

Although propolis has been used as part of alternative medicine for years, it has not been clinically accepted because questions have arisen about its effect on cells.

However, the study, which trialled its effectiveness on mice through the CAPE compound, has shown it can help to shut down tumour cells by preventing them gaining the nutrition they need to grow.

Dr Richard B Jones, senior author of the study, commented: "If you feed CAPE to mice daily, their tumours will stop growing.

"After several weeks, if you stop the treatment, the tumours will begin to grow again at their original pace."

This indicates that while CAPE cannot kill cancer, it can halt its spread, making it easier for doctors to control outcomes and administer treatment.

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