Why in News
The current process of producing antivenom is outdated, involving injecting large animals with snake venom and collecting the animals’ blood for the antibodies it produces.
A group of scientists sidestepped animals and used human antibodies instead, eventually finding the potent 95Mat5
What is 95Mat5?
95Mat5 is a universal antivenom developed to neutralize the toxins present in snake venoms.
Development Process:
The scientists first synthesized variants of a toxin called long-chain 3FTxs (3FTx-L), which are found in the venoms of various snakes, including cobras, kraits, mambas, and monocled cobras.
They then screened billions of human antibodies expressed on the surface of yeast cells to find antibodies that bound best to the synthesized toxins.
After multiple rounds of screening, they identified a shortlist of antibodies that broadly reacted with most of the 3FTx variants used in the study.
The selected antibodies were further tested in vitro in human cells to determine which ones could best neutralize the toxins.
Mechanism of Action
95Mat5 specifically targets α-neurotoxins, which are a specific class of 3FTxs that prevent nerve and muscle cells from responding to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in carrying messages from neurons to muscles.
By binding to the toxins, 95Mat5 prevents toxins from interacting with the receptors in human nerve and muscle cells, thereby blocking their ability to induce paralysis and other deadly effects.
In animal experiments, 95Mat5 demonstrated efficacy in neutralizing the toxins present in the venoms of various snake species, protecting the animals from death.
COMMENTS