University of Maryland researchers have identified a promising new way to treat venomous snakebites by borrowing from snakes' own natural defenses. Their approach uses toxin-blocking proteins that western diamondback rattlesnakes evolved to protect themselves from venom. By combining specific proteins found in rattlesnake blood, the researchers achieved unusually strong protection against venom from several dangerous snake species.
The study was led by Distinguished University Professor of BiologySean B. Carroll and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The findings could help researchers develop more powerful antivenoms for deadly snakebites, which remain a major health threat in some regions of the world.
"This is one of those great stories when nature has already solved a problem we've been grappling with for decades," said Carroll, who also holds the Andrew and Mary Balo and Nicholas and Susan Simon Endowed Chair at UMD. Snakebite is considered one of the world's most neglected tropical diseases. According to the World Health Organization, venomous snakes kill an estimated 80,000 to 140,000 people annually, while hundreds of thousands of survivors are left with permanent disabilities.
Many of those affected live in rural areas where effective antivenom can be difficult to obtain. Existing antivenoms save lives, but they also have major drawbacks. They are typically produced by exposing large animals to snake venom and then collecting the antibodies those animals generate.
Manufacturing these treatments can be costly, their quality and effectiveness can vary, and they may not work equally well against the many different toxins found in venom from different snake species. They can also cause serious immune reactions. Those limitations have pushed scientists to search for better options.
In this case, the researchers turned to snakes themselves for clues. "We've known from anecdotes for 100 years that vipers tend to be resistant to their own venom," Carroll said. "But for a long time, nobody knew what exactly was circulating in their blood that protected them." A Natural Defense Hidden in Rattlesnake Blood In 2022, Carroll's laboratory found part of the answer: a protein called FETUA-3.
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