A team of researchers from Europe and Ecuador has made a significant breakthrough in medicine by adapting the technology underlying mRNA vaccines to provide protection against the deadly venom of snakes in the Bothrops genus. These reptiles, known as “pit vipers,” are responsible for the majority of fatal snakebite incidents in South America. The new development demonstrated high efficacy in preventing tissue necrosis and the death of muscle cells, paving the way for a universal treatment to save victims in tropical areas. For the first time, scientists have proven the ability of the method widely used to create COVID-19 drugs to protect muscle tissue from the destructive action of toxins. Professor Sakthi Vaiyapuri from the University of Reading emphasized that this discovery offers a completely new paradigm in combating the effects of bites, especially concerning localized injuries which existing antidotes often fail to address effectively. The technology is based on using lipid nanoparticles to deliver messenger RNA molecules into cells, which in turn encode fragments of venom proteins, thereby prompting the immune system to produce protective antibodies against them. Bothrops venom is a complex mixture of enzymes that cause victims severe pain, internal bleeding, and extensive damage to muscle fibers. To counteract this effect, biologists synthesized an RNA molecule encoding elements of myotoxin M-II—one of the key venom components that causes muscle damage. The experimental preparation was tested on laboratory mice: the animals were first administered the vaccine and then, forty-eight hours later, exposed to the actual toxin of the Bothrops asper snake. The results of the trials exceeded expectations: the applied therapy prevented extensive cell death and damage to the walls of blood vessels, and significantly lowered the concentration of biomarkers indicating muscle injury. The researchers are confident that a similar approach could be used to develop vaccines against the venoms of other viper family members. This will not only save lives but also significantly reduce the number of severe disability cases that often follow encounters with dangerous reptiles.
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