AI-designed synthetic antivenoms could revolutionise snakebite treatment, new study reveals

Venomous snakebites

kill over 100,000 people annually and permanently injure thousands more. Despite the gravity of this global health problem, the treatment of choice-standard antivenoms-are made much as they have been for a century: by injecting animals with venom and then extracting and purifying the antibodies they produce. According to the study published in Nature, it promises a better future in terms of providing better

snakebite treatment

.

Researchers are using artificial intelligence to produce

synthetic antivenoms

, which may be faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

AI-designed synthetic antivenoms

The traditional method of producing antivenoms where animals are injected with venom to produce antibodies that are then collected and purified into the antivenom. The process is very time-consuming and expensive, and also dependent on the availability of venom and animal blood. Also, antivenoms require refrigeration, and it is a challenge to store and distribute in regions with high snakebite incidents.
This is an innovative strategy, wherein researchers design a small protein known as “binder” by an AI program named RFdiffusion. Developed at the University of Washington by Nobel laureate David Baker and his colleagues, these custom protein structures may bind specifically to venom toxins. Unlike conventional methods, these antibodies depend upon the immune system of the animals for their production; AI will enable the proteins to be designed to exact specifications within the computer, and therefore easily synthesized and kept on hand. Also, it may be possible that the small binders have easier passage through tissue, which can be one possible reason why they could be much more effective at their treatment of bites.

AI-designed binders promises in overcoming snake venom

A medical biotechnologist at Technical University of Denmark, Timothy Jenkins, had found a paper that reported the use of RFdiffusion-designed proteins. Fascinated by the technology, he made contact with Baker to know whether it was applied to

snake venom

toxins. When initial skepticism had begun to dissipate with initial promising results. The first set of binders proved to be better than the conventional antibodies in neutralizing three-finger toxins, which is one of the most toxic components found in snake venom. Not only did these binders protect cells but also had a successful proof-of-concept animal test on mice when administered before or after exposure to the venom.
In addition, synthetic binders offer an advantage of thermal stability. Those antivenoms which are currently being used require cold storage and in this regard, the proposed antivenoms may be stored without refrigeration. This makes them more suitable to remote places where snake bites are common. In areas with facilities for minimal cold storage, this is an added advantage. In addition, binders could be carried in a user-friendly injection apparatus like an EpiPen.

Benefits of synthetic antivenoms for snakebite treatment

A significant benefit of this approach is the possibility of being low cost. Conventional antivenoms require constant supplies of venom and blood from animals, which makes them time-consuming and expensive to produce. Synthetic binders, on the other hand, can be produced in large quantities by bacteria or yeast, thereby significantly reducing costs and saving production time.
Despite these promising successes, much has to be traversed. Though effective, these binders had not neutralized the whole venom of cobras, which encompasses a group of diverse toxins inducing cell death and significant tissue injury. Vázquez Torres and Jenkins, as well as others, have started designing more additional binders towards other toxins so that a range of treatments will be developed.

Are synthetic antivenoms effective?

The results are promising however, the clinical trials will be required to evaluate the efficacy of these synthetic antivenoms in humans. As with any new medical treatment, researchers are quick to temper expectations until these antivenoms are tested in human trials under strict conditions. The potential for synthetic antivenoms to revolutionize snakebite treatment remains, but further research is needed to validate their safety and efficacy.
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