A team of scientists has made a significant breakthrough in the fight against deadly snakebites. They have developed a new antivenom “cocktail” that shows the potential to neutralize the venom of a wide range of dangerous snakes. This innovative approach combines lab-produced substances to offer broader protection than current antivenoms.

 

How They Did It:

The researchers started by studying the natural defenses of a woman named Friede, who survived multiple bites from various venomous snakes. They isolated antibodies – special proteins her body produced to fight the snake venom.
These antibodies were then individually tested in mice that had been given venom from 19 different snake species. This careful testing allowed the scientists to pinpoint the specific antibodies that were most effective against different venoms and figure out the minimum combination needed for broad protection.

 

The Powerful Three-Part Antivenom:

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The final antivenom “cocktail” created by the team has three key ingredients:
* LNX-D09: This is the first antibody they identified from Friede’s blood. It alone protected mice from a deadly dose of venom from six different snake species.
* Varespladib: This is a small-molecule drug that works by blocking an enzyme (a type of protein) found in the venom of 95% of all venomous snakes. Importantly, this drug is already being tested in humans as a potential treatment for snakebites on its own.
* SNX-B03: This is a second powerful antibody isolated from Friede’s blood. Adding this antibody to the cocktail expanded the protection to cover all 19 snake species tested.

 

Impressive Results in Mice:

In their experiments with mice, the new antivenom provided:

• 100% protection against the venom of 13 of the 19 snake species.
• Partial protection (20% to 40%) against the venom of the remaining six species.

 

Why This is a Big Deal:

Experts in the field are excited about this development. Steven Hall, a snakebite expert at Lancaster University, who was not involved in the study, called it a “very clever and creative way” to create an antivenom.

One major advantage of this new approach is that the antibodies used are based on human antibodies. This could mean that if approved for use in humans, it might cause fewer side effects compared to traditional antivenoms, which are often made using horses or other animals and can trigger allergic reactions.

Hall believes that combining a small-molecule drug like varespladib with antibodies is a promising strategy. He added that if this antivenom eventually becomes available for human use, “it would be revolutionary” and “completely change the field in terms of snakebite (treatment).”

 

Looking Ahead:

The current research focused on a group of venomous snakes called elapids, which includes snakes like cobras and mambas. It did not include viperids, another major group that includes rattlesnakes and vipers.

 

However, the research team is now investigating whether other antibodies from Friede’s blood or other substances could offer protection against viperid venoms as well.

Their ultimate goal is to develop either a single antivenom that works against all major types of venomous snakes worldwide, or potentially two separate antivenoms – one for elapids and one for viperids – depending on which types of snakes are common in different regions.

The team also plans to conduct field research in Australia, which only has elapid snakes, to test the antivenom on dogs that have been bitten by snakes. This will be an important step towards potentially using this life-saving treatment in humans.