When the researchers studied exactly how 95Mat5 was so effective at blocking the 3FTx variants, they discovered that the antibody mimicked the structure of the human protein that 3FTx usually binds to. Interestingly, the broad-acting HIV antibodies that Jardine has previously studied also work by mimicking a human protein.
“It’s incredible that for two completely different problems, the human immune system has converged on a very similar solution,” says Jardine. “It also was exciting to see that we could make an effective antibody entirely synthetically—we did not immunize any animals nor did we use any snakes.”
While 95Mat5 is effective against the venom of all elapids, it does not block the venom of vipers—the second group of venomous snakes. Jardine’s group is now pursuing broadly neutralizing antibodies against another elapid toxin, as well as two viper toxins. They suspect that combining 95Mat5 with these other antibodies could provide broad coverage against many—or all—snake venoms.
“We think that a cocktail of these four antibodies could potentially work as a universal antivenom against any medically relevant snake in the world,” says Khalek.
Reference: “Synthetic development of a broadly neutralizing antibody against snake venom long-chain α-neurotoxins” by Irene S. Khalek, R. R. Senji Laxme, Yen Thi Kim Nguyen, Suyog Khochare, Rohit N. Patel, Jordan Woehl, Jessica M. Smith, Karen Saye-Francisco, Yoojin Kim, Laetitia Misson Mindrebo, Quoc Tran, Mateusz Kędzior, Evy Boré, Oliver Limbo, Megan Verma, Robyn L. Stanfield, Stefanie K. Menzies, Stuart Ainsworth, Robert A. Harrison, Dennis R. Burton, Devin Sok, Ian A. Wilson, Nicholas R. Casewell, Kartik Sunagar and Joseph G. Jardine, 21 February 2024, Science Translational Medicine.
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk1867
In addition to Khalek and Jardine, authors of the study, “Synthetic development of a broadly neutralizing antibody against snake venom long-chain α-neurotoxins,” include Yen Thi Kim Nguyen, Jordan Woehl, Jessica M. Smith, Karen Saye-Francisco, Yoojin Kim, Laetitia Misson Mindrebo, Quoc Tran, Mateusz Kędzior, Oliver Limbo, Megan Verma, Robyn L. Stanfield, Dennis R. Burton, Devin Sok and Ian A. Wilson of Scripps; Evy Boré, Rohit N. Patel, Stefanie K. Menzies, Stuart Ainsworth, Robert A. Harrison and Nicholas R. Casewell of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; and R. R. Senji Laxme, Suyog Khochare and Kartik Sunagar of the Indian Institute of Science.
By https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-have-discovered-a-potential-universal-antivenom/
