Researchers at the University of Maryland have discovered that specific proteins naturally found in the blood of western diamondback rattlesnakes can neutralize venom from multiple dangerous snake species. The study, led by Distinguished University Professor Sean B. Carroll and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused on a family of proteins called FETUAs. While individual FETUA proteins had limited effectiveness, optimized combinations of several worked synergistically: they completely blocked the lethal effects of rattlesnake venom and provided broad protection against venoms from evolutionarily distant viper species. In laboratory tests, these natural protein mixtures proved to be approximately ten times more potent than a current commercial sheep-derived antivenom. The researchers are now applying the same strategy to target other families of venom toxins. This approach could lead to safer, more effective antivenoms that bypass some of the immune reactions associated with traditional animal-derived treatments.
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