There are poisons and poisons. Black Mamba and King Cobra are biologically different. The result is the same: death, mostly. Estimates vary between 83,000 and 138,000 annual deaths, and at least 400,000 permanent disabilities after snake bites, mainly in Asia and Africa.
Sera are species specific. And even within a snake species, venom can vary by region. These serums usually contain a cocktail of antibodies derived from animals, which, in addition to ethical questions, pose problems of immunological side effects.
In an article published in Science Translational Medicine, an international group of researchers has explained how a synthetic antibody from the American Scribs Research Institute can thwart the action of the main neurotoxicant in the venom of snakes of the Apilidae type (which includes mambas, cobras and kraits. ). This neurotoxicant binds to ion channels in nerve and muscle cells, blocking the flow of nerve impulses and leading to rapid death.
Hope for a universal serum
From 60 billion (!) artificial antibodies in the institute’s library, the researchers (using a complex double screening technique) selected 96Mat5, which effectively neutralizes the neurotoxicant. Tested on mice, it was found to be very effective against the venom of this group of snakes. But less compared to King Cobra…
Antibody alone is not enough to defeat all the effects of the poison, which is composed of substances with different effects (necrotizing, fluidifying, etc.), but it is a great first step. According to the researchers, it can be immediately added to the serum used in the regions where these snakes exist, which makes it possible to prevent the most quickly fatal effect of the venom.
This study paves the way to create a safe serum with limited side effects, composed of various synthetic antibodies, which act on various harmful effects of the venom. A universal serum also against the bites of about 200 species of poisonous snakes. The question is who will fund the implementation of these advanced vaccines, apart from the Wellcome Trust, which supports this research.
