Nanobody-based antivenom shows effectiveness against 17 African snake species

Snakebite envenoming is among the world's deadliest yet most overlooked tropical diseases. The WHO has classified snakebite envenoming as one of 21 neglected tropical diseases, resulting in between 100,000 and 150,000 deaths worldwide each year. Three times as many survive with serious disabilities, including amputations and permanent tissue damage.

Snakebite victims are therefore dependent on antivenom, but the existing types have serious limitations: these include that they do not cover all medically relevant snake species and that they cannot always neutralize all medically relevant toxins found in snake venoms. This makes it difficult to provide correct and optimal treatment.

Now, an international team of researchers led by Professor Andreas Hougaard Laustsen-Kiel from DTU Bioengineering has developed a broad-spectrum antivenom against snake venoms, which shows impressive potential in laboratory studies. The antivenom covers a total of 17 different African snake species (including cobras, mambas, and rinkhals), provides better protection against tissue damage, has a lower risk of immune reactions, and, according to the researchers, can be produced at a lower cost than existing antivenoms.

Researchers have developed a more effective and broadly effective antivenom by combining eight carefully selected nanobodies into a cocktail that targets venom from 18 medically relevant African snake species. Nanobodies are a special type of antibody that originates from antibodies found in animals in the camel family. Nanobodies are both smaller and more stable than ordinary antibodies.

Image source: Wolfgang Wüster.