Scientists have found a new treatment for snakebites caused by African spitting cobras. The venom from these snakes is very strong and can lead to tissue damage known as dermonecrosis. This condition can cause rapid destruction of skin, muscle, and bone near the snakebite, and may result in permanent injuries and disfigurement, such as limb loss and amputations in severe cases. By using a repurposed small molecule drug called varespladib, researchers were able to block one of the two main toxins in the cobra venom that cause dermonecrosis, thus preventing damage to the skin and muscles. Snakebites are estimated to have long-term negative effects each year.ct and his team at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have been working on developing a new treatment for snakebites. Their research has led to a breakthrough in the treatment of African spitting cobra venom, which causes severe tissue damage. The venom is extremely powerful and can lead to the rapid destruction of skin, muscle, and bone around the bite area. This can result in permanent injuries, disfigurement, and even limb loss in severe cases. As a result, the team has developed a groundbreaking new treatment to prevent this devastating tissue damage.The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, along with Dr. Steven Hall from Lancaster University, found that using the repurposed small molecule drug varespladib to block one of the two major dermonecrosis-causing toxins in spitting cobra venom can prevent skin and muscle damage.
Snakebites cause long-term detrimental effects in approximately 400,000 people worldwide each year, with a significant number of cases in Africa resulting from spitting cobra bites.
Currently, there is no effective treatment for severe local envenoming caused by spitting cobra venom. Existing treatments are not effective.Antivenoms are only effective against bites from different snake species and are often not successful in treating local envenoming because the antibodies in antivenom are too large to effectively enter the area around the bite. Professor Nicholas Casewell from LSTM stated that the findings have the potential to enhance the treatment of tropical snakebites. Current treatments for spitting cobra bites are considered ineffective, leading to high rates of disability and amputation in many parts of Africa. The data suggests that blocking one of the main toxin families in spitting cobra venom could prevent tissue damage.The findings of Professor Casewell’s team, which includes PhD student Keirah Bartlett and Dr. Steven Hall, previously of LSTM and now at Lancaster University, along with researchers from Canada, Denmark, Costa Rica, and the USA, revealed that the toxins found in spitting cobra venom are the main cause of venom-induced dermonecrosis in snakebite patients. The study identified cytotoxic three-finger toxins (CTx) as the primary culprits, while also highlighting the critical role played by phospholipases A2 (PLA2) toxins. The study also found that local injection of the drug varespladib, which inhibits PLA2, can reduce the damage caused by snakebites in thousands of patients each year.The study found that varespladib can significantly reduce dermonecrosis caused by cobra venom, even when administered up to an hour after the venom. Additionally, the drug also protects against venom-induced muscle toxicity. The authors believe that these findings indicate that varespladib could be a valuable treatment for the tissue-damaging effects of black-necked and red spitting cobra venoms, which cause significant harm to snakebite victims in Africa. Lead author Keirah Bartlett stated that these results are very promising and offer a new treatment option where none previously existed, highlighting the potential of varespladib.The repurposed drug Varespladib has already undergone human clinical trials, including for snakebite, and could soon be available for use in real-world patients.” Dr. Hall stated, “Snakebite is a devastating neglected tropical disease, with necrotic snake venoms causing tissue destruction and permanently injuring hundreds of thousands of victims annually. Our research demonstrates that Varespladib is highly effective at inhibiting the necrosis caused by African spitting cobras, which is an exciting discovery considering the fast-acting and destructive nature of their venoms. We hope that this research will pave the way for future snakebite therapies that can save lives.”The team led by Professor Casewell is currently seeking out effective treatments that can block the venom CTx, which has the potential to improve the effectiveness of varespladib and reduce the long-term effects of spitting cobra bites in Africa and other regions.”
