Image credit: Wikipedi

Scientists from the Clodomiro Picado Institute of the University of Costa Rica (ICP-UCR) created an antidote capable of neutralizing the venom of the black mamba snake, (Dendroaspis polylepis), an extremely venomous snake of the family Elapidae, and native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

The antivenom is currently on its experimental stage, and consists in a “panel of specific himan antibodies against the dendrotoxins of the black mamba. Scientists discovered that this element contributes to the toxicity of this species, and therefore, they designed a proposal of pharmaceutical through recombinant DNA that uses this substance to identify immunoglobulin G IgG) – the most common type of antibodies in humans – which can neutralize these dendrotoxins”, explains the article by the University of Costa Rica (www.ucr.ac.cr).

“This advance represents a historical scientific milestone. The antivenom that exist today come from the plasma of hyperimmunized animals, and its formula, even though manages to effectively annul the poisoning, it can cause allergic harmful reactions on people. This is the first attempt done worldwide to combat poisoning by snake bites though the use of human antibodies which promises to have less probabilities of harmful reactions”.

The investigation and development was lead by Iontas an English company that works on discovering and optimizing human antibodies for the development of medicinal drugs, Denmark’s Technical University and the investigators of ICP-UCR

“This is just a preliminary step, there is still a long way to go to have a ‘human’ antivenom that effectively neutralizes the black mamba venom”.

Every year 2.6 million cases of snakebites by venomous snakes are reported worldwide, in Costa Rica there are reports of an average 600 people affected every year, out of these, only 3 die, but worldwide over 125 thousand lives are lost and some 400 thousand people will suffer the consequences of the venom for the rest of their lives sometimes with amputations or a disfigured limb.

ICP-UCR, has dedicated the last 50 years to saving the lives of victims of snakebites in Costa Rica as well as other 14 countries with social vulnerabilities. ICP-UCR produces high-quality antivenoms which are used in different regions of Latin America, Africa, Oceania and Sri Lanka.