Nigerian Farm Milks Scorpion Venom, Targets Global Market

What a business to be in! Turkey seems to have similar businesses.

Australian research discovers how common blood thinner can be used as cobra venom treatment

Good news! Probably, many people in Western countries have no or little idea how much snake bites are still a problem in the rest of the world.

"The anticoagulant heparin could be repurposed as a cheap and effective drug to treat cobra bites across Asia and Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 2 million people are envenomed by snakes each year in Asia, while in Africa there are an estimated 435,000 to 580,000 snake bites annually that need treatment.

New Australian research has found the drug can prevent cobra-venom induced necrosis in human cells and mice. Necrosis, the death of tissue around the bite, cannot currently be treated with available antivenoms. ...

They showed heparin treatment could promote human cell survival and inhibit cell death after exposure to different cobra venoms, including the African red (Naja pallida) and black-necked (Naja nigricollis) spitting cobra, the monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia), the Chinese cobra (Naja atra) and the Indian spectacled cobra (Naja naja). ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Snakebite is considered a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization, and although antibody-based antivenoms exist, they are species specific, are expensive, and require cold storage as well as intravenous administration in a health care setting. Here, Du and colleagues conducted a whole-genome CRISPR knockout screen to identify genes required for spitting cobra venom cytotoxicity. This screen highlighted genes involved in proteoglycan biosynthesis, suggesting that heparinoids could potentially block spitting cobra venom cytotoxicity. The heparinoid tinzaparin, given subcutaneously at the time of intradermal venom injection, effectively reduced the size of the resulting dermonecrotic lesions in mice, supporting the further evaluation of this drug for the treatment of local tissue damage from spitting cobra envenoming. ...

Abstract

Snakebites affect about 1.8 million people annually. The current standard of care involves antibody-based antivenoms, which can be difficult to access and are generally not effective against local tissue injury, the primary cause of morbidity. Here, we used a pooled whole-genome CRISPR knockout screen to define human genes that, when targeted, modify cell responses to spitting cobra venoms. A large portion of modifying genes that conferred resistance to venom cytotoxicity was found to control proteoglycan biosynthesis, including EXT1, B4GALT7, EXT2, EXTL3, XYLT2, NDST1, and SLC35B2, which we validated independently. This finding suggested heparinoids as possible inhibitors. Heparinoids prevented venom cytotoxicity through binding to three-finger cytotoxins, and the US Food and Drug Administration–approved heparinoid tinzaparin was found to reduce tissue damage in mice when given via a medically relevant route and dose. Overall, our systematic molecular dissection of cobra venom cytotoxicity provides insight into how we can better treat cobra snakebite envenoming."

Common blood thinner can be used as cobra venom treatment

Molecular dissection of cobra venom highlights heparinoids as an antidote for spitting cobra envenoming (open access)

Fig. 5. Snake venom–induced dermonecrosis is inhibited by heparinoids in vivo.

Organ-on-a-chip blood vessels reveal how snake venom destroys capillaries

Good news! Amazing stuff! 

Besides bloodsuckers, snakes might be another species where humans may want to expedite extinction in nature.

"Snakebites kill more than a hundred thousand people every year and maim countless more. ...

The capillary mimics they developed are the latest in ‘organ-on-a-chip’ technology. In a nutshell, cells are grown in special microfluidic devices to create 3D tubes that behave like small blood vessels. Researchers could then pump venom-laced fluid through these mini-tubes and watch what happens to the cells. And it wasn’t pretty: High doses of venom caused entire chunks of vessel wall to die and wither away. ..."

From the abstract:

"Snakebite envenomation is a major public health issue which causes severe morbidity and mortality, affecting millions of people annually. Of a diverse range of clinical manifestations, local and systemic haemorrhage are of particular relevance, as this may result in ischemia, organ failure and even cardiovascular shock. Thus far, in vitro studies have failed to recapitulate the haemorrhagic effects observed in vivo. Here, we present an organ-on-a-chip approach to investigate the effects of four different snake venoms on a perfused microfluidic blood vessel model. We assess the effect of the venoms of four snake species on epithelial barrier function, cell viability, and contraction/delamination. Our findings reveal two different mechanisms by which the microvasculature is being affected, either by disruption of the endothelial cell membrane or by delamination of the endothelial cell monolayer from its matrix. The use of our blood vessel model may shed light on the key mechanisms by which tissue-damaging venoms exert their effects on the capillary vessels, which could be helpful for the development of effective treatments against snakebites."

ScienceAdvisor

Using organ-on-a-chip technology to study haemorrhagic activities of snake venoms on endothelial tubules (open access)

Figure 7 Schematic overview showing the mechanisms by which tissue-damaging toxins exert their effects

How predator lizards avoid being killed by venomous snakes and more on the complex evolutionary arms race between predator and prey

Amazing stuff! An arms race of sorts reminding of Russian dolls! Eat or be eaten!

Makes sense! If you want to eat venomous snakes you better have antitoxins or other defenses!

"A University of Queensland-led study has shed light on how some lizards have evolved to resist deadly neurotoxins from Australia’s most venomous snakes. ...

“Our research found most large varanids or monitor lizards that prey on venomous snakes have inherited neurotoxin resistance – a trait possibly connected to their predatory lifestyle,” ..."

From the abstract:

"The interplay between predator and prey has catalyzed the evolution of venom systems, with predators honing their venoms in response to the evolving resistance of prey. A previous study showed that the African varanid species Varanus exanthematicus has heightened resistance to snake venoms compared to the Australian species V. giganteus, V. komodoensis, and V. mertensi, likely due to increased predation by sympatric venomous snakes on V. exanthematicus. To understand venom resistance among varanid lizards, we analyzed the receptor site targeted by venoms in 27 varanid lizards, including 25 Australian varanids. The results indicate an active evolutionary arms race between Australian varanid lizards and sympatric neurotoxic elapid snakes. Large species preying on venomous snakes exhibit inherited neurotoxin resistance, a trait potentially linked to their predatory habits. Consistent with the ‘use it or lose it’ aspect of venom resistance, this trait was secondarily reduced in two lineages that had convergently evolved gigantism (V. giganteus and the V. komodoensis/V. varius clade), suggestive of increased predatory success accompanying extreme size and also increased mechanical protection against envenomation due to larger scale osteoderms. Resistance was completely lost in the mangrove monitor V. indicus, consistent with venomous snakes not being common in their arboreal and aquatic niche. Conversely, dwarf varanids demonstrate a secondary loss at the base of the clade, with resistance subsequently re-evolving in the burrowing V. acanthurus/V. storri clade, suggesting an ongoing battle with neurotoxic predators. Intriguingly, within the V. acanthurus/V. storri clade, resistance was lost again in V. kingorum, which is morphologically and ecologically distinct from other members of this clade. Resistance was also re-evolved in V. glebopalma which is terrestrial in contrast to the arboreal/cliff dwelling niches occupied by the other members of its clade (V. glebopalma, V. mitchelli, V. scalaris, V. tristis). This ‘Russian doll’ pattern of venom resistance underscores the dynamic interaction between dwarf varanids and Australian neurotoxic elapid snakes. Our research, which included testing Acanthophis (death adder) venoms against varanid receptors as models for alpha-neurotoxic interactions, uncovered a fascinating instance of the Red Queen Hypothesis: some death adders have developed more potent toxins specifically targeting resistant varanids, a clear sign of the relentless predator–prey arms race. These results offer new insight into the complex dynamics of venom resistance and highlight the intricate ecological interactions that shape the natural world."

How lizards avoid being killed by venomous snakes

How lizards avoid being killed by venomous snakes (original news release)

A Russian Doll of Resistance: Nested Gains and Losses of Venom Immunity in Varanid Lizards

Crowned snake (Drysdalia coronata), feeding on Two-toed mulch skink (Hemiergis quadrilineata), Western Austraila. 

A pill for heavy metal poisoning may also save snakebite victims

Good news! What took so long? It was apparently known since the 1980s that metal poising treatment could work for certain kind of snake bites!

"... Researchers have wondered whether drugs that bind up metal ions could treat viper bites since the 1980s, ... “This is an old drug, and it’s an old concept that’s finally being put to the test,” ..."

A pill for heavy metal poisoning may also save snakebite victims | Science News: In mice, an oral medication delayed or even prevented death after a lethal dose of viper venom, a new study finds.