One antivenom to cure all: Scientists are working on an antibody for the bite of a variety of snakes, from the Wagler Pit Viper to the King Cobra (below). — Photos: DR VINCENT TEO ENG WAH
WHAT if one antivenom could work for all snake bites?
Scientists may be getting there.
More than 80,000 people die from snake bites each year and about three times that number suffer permanent disability after being bitten by a snake. But unlike many other serious medical conditions, a highly effective treatment exists. In the parts of the world where many bites occur, it’s just hard to get.
Antivenom is highly effective at preventing or reversing most of the effects of a venomous bite. But it is expensive and time consuming to make – it’s still made in much the same way it has been since the 19th century, by injecting an animal like a horse with a tiny amount of snake venom and then harvesting the antibodies to the bite from its blood.
Each snake also typically requires its own specific antivenom to work. All of these things mean that there is not nearly enough antivenom to go around – especially in the tropical and subtropical climates of Asia, Africa and Latin America where many deadly bites occur.
King Cobra
Now scientists think they may have come up with a solution: A lab-made antibody that can defend against a variety of snakebites. In a recent study, researchers at Scripps Research Institute showed that by creating a synthetic antibody that can bind to several types of venom in different snakes, a much wider ranging antidote could be created.
The antibody appears to work for a family of snakes called elapidae that includes mambas and king cobras.
The research is in its early stages – the lab-made antivenom was tested on mice that were injected with the venom of four different elapid snakes. It has yet to be tested on humans, but the authors said it could be a promising first step toward creating a universal antivenom.
“We could formulate them into a universal antivenom to hopefully work against any snake in the world,” says Joseph Jardine, an assistant professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps and one of the authors on the study.
The research comes at a critical time: The price of antivenom has surged in the past 20 years, putting it out of reach for those who need it most, according to the World Health Organisation.
“If you could make one single antivenom, that simplifies everything,” said Jardine. “You wouldn’t have to worry about what snake bit you, it could be manufactured in one place in the world and you could distribute it anywhere.” – Bloomberg
