On the way to a universal antivenom

It is still only a small step for man, but for mice, and especially for future humanity, the step is major. An international team has just developed a synthetic antivenom that protects rats from bites from different species of deadly snakes. The product is a monoclonal antibody designed by American, British and Indian researchers to combat cobras, mambas and other bonkers. This technique is used today in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory diseases and transplant rejection. But using it to design broad-spectrum antivenoms would be revolutionary.

Because, since the development, in 1894, by the French César Physalis and Albert Calmette, the principle of the first antidote against the bite of the viper has not changed. Diluted venom from snakes is injected into a larger animal, usually a horse. The operation is repeated several times. Equine antibodies are then produced, which are collected, purified and packaged. Finally, it is administered to man to combat the venom injected by the reptile during its bite.

In the long run, antivenoms suffer from a high rate of allergic reactions. The human body had a hard time accepting the cells produced by its best friend. If serious reactions still occur, purification has made them rare. More commonly, manufacturers struggle to standardize their dosages. Above all, most serums only protect against one species of snake. However, on the ground, victims are often unaware of the perpetrator’s identity. We have tried to vaccinate horses against several toxins, but the product loses effectiveness against each. There is also no question of multiplying injections of specific serum on a delicate patient. So much so that today, despite advances in science, 80,000 to 135,000 people still die from snakebites every year. The World Health Organization has made it one of its major neglected pathologies.

Three terrors of the “Elapidae” family

Research published on Wednesday 21 February paints a bleak picture Science Translational Medicine Draws a new perspective. Instead of starting with snakes, scientists looked first at humans. They computer-scanned a library of nearly 100 billion antibodies to select a dozen to neutralize the reptile’s venom. Not just any venom, in fact: the researchers targeted long-chain, so-called “three-fingered” substances known to be particularly active in venom. And, within these objects, they set their sights on the genetic sequence common to different species. From this long process of selection followed by refinement, a nugget called 95Mat5 finally emerged.

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