New antivenom effective against 17 African snake species

New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Danish researchers have, in a groundbreaking innovation, developed an antivenom which has shown effectiveness against 17 African snake species, and could revolutionise the treatment of venomous snakebites.

Snakebites result in about 150,000 deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The survivors are left with serious disabilities, including amputations and permanent tissue damage.

Currently available antivenoms do not cover all medically relevant snake species and do not always neutralise all medically relevant toxins found in snake venoms.

The new broad-spectrum antivenom was developed by researchers from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in Denmark by combining eight carefully selected nanobodies into a cocktail.

In laboratory studies, the antivenom showed potential against a total of 17 different African snake species (including cobras and rinkhals). It also provided better protection against tissue damage and lowered the risk of immune reactions.

Importantly, it can be produced at a lower cost than existing antivenoms, said the team in the paper published in the journal Nature.

"We have developed an antivenom that does not require us to constantly extract antibodies from animals. Instead, we used phage display technology to develop our antivenom,” said Andreas Hougaard Laustsen-Kiel, who led the research at DTU.

“This method makes it possible to select and copy effective antibody fragments (nanobodies) and later produce them on a large scale and with consistent quality. This means that we would be able to produce the antivenom in large quantities without compromising on quality," he added.

Although the antivenom showed promise, it has yet to be tested on humans.

The team also noted that the effectiveness of the antivenom is limited when it’s given after venom exposure.

Further, venom from certain species, such as the black mamba and forest cobra, was only partially neutralised. This shows that both the composition of the venom and the timing of treatment are very important – and that the antivenom does not yet provide full protection in all cases.

Urging the need for more studies and clinical trials, Laustsen-Kiel stated that the "antivenom has the potential to fundamentally change how snakebites are treated around the world.”

--IANS

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