A “universal” antivenom can block the lethal toxins in the venoms of a wide variety of poisonous snakes found in Africa, Asia and Australia, researchers report.
The antibody protected mice from the normally deadly venom of snakes like black mambas and king cobras, according to findings published Feb. 21 in the journal“This antibody works against one of the major toxins found across numerous snake species that contribute to tens of thousands of deaths every year,” said senior researcher Joseph Jardine, an assistant professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research.
To develop their new antivenom, the research team compared venom proteins from a wide variety of poisonous snakes, including mambas, cobras and kraits. To work out an antibody to block the venom, researchers combined the genes for 16 different three-finger toxins into the cells of mammals, allowing them to produce toxins in the lab.
Among the 30 antibodies identified by that test, one stood out as having the strongest action against all toxin variants, researchers said. While testing the antibody, researchers discovered that it mimicked the structure of the human protein to which three-finger toxins usually bind.
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