Bites from spitting cobras can cause significant health issues and even death, and the antivenoms currently in use don’t effectively treat the local tissue damage caused by these venoms. These antivenoms also need to be kept cool and given in a medical facility, making them less accessible in the rural areas where snake bites are more common.
Du et al. conducted a CRISPR knockout study to find the genes that are essential for the venom’s harmful effects, which pointed to several genes related to the production of heparan sulfate. They discovered that heparinoids, which are similar to heparan sulfate, could block the venom’s toxins from harming cells. When heparinoids were given to mice along with the venom, they significantly reduced the damage to the animals’ tissues. This suggests that heparinoids could be a new way to treat injuries from spitting cobra bites.
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They found that the heparin drugs (heparinoids) act as a decoy antidote, binding to and neutralising the toxins within the venom.
The research was conducted out of the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney led by Professor Greg Neely and his colleague Tian Du, the lead author of the study.
Du said:
“Heparin us inexpensive, ubiquitous and a World Health Organisation-listed essential medicine. It could be rolled out relatively quickly to become a cheap, safe and effective drug for treating cobra bites.”
Professor Neely said:
“Our discovery could drastically reduce the terrible injuries from necrosis caused by cobra bites, and it might also slow the venom, which could improve survival rates.”
Cobra venom contains toxins called cytotoxins, which specifically damage and destroy cells. This tissue damage around the bite wound is what leads to necrosis.
Estimated total venomous bites globally: The WHO estimates 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes worldwide each year.
