Blog: Life-saving venom research at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

For BIAZA Vital Venoms and Practical Poisons week, we’re highlighting the work of individuals across the sector who contribute to advancing venomous species research and appreciation.

Keirah Bartlett (PhD candidate) and Rachael Da Silva (Research assistant) have been furthering understanding of venom research from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine...

Did you know the largest collection of venomous snakes in the U.K. isn’t in a zoo? The top floor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is home to approximately 170 venomous snakes, representing at least 70 species. Our herpetarium was established by Alistair Reid, who joined the LSTM in 1964, and comprises of Saw-scaled vipers (Echis spp.), Puff adders (Bitis arietans; pictured above), Black and Green mambas (Dendroaspis spp.), and several spitting and non-spitting cobras (Naja spp.). Here, the Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions (CSRI) uses venoms from these snakes to better understand toxin activities and develop novel therapeutics to neutralise venom toxins and treat snakebite. The CSRI focuses primarily on snakes from Africa, where the highest case fatality rate for snakebite is seen.

Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that every year kills up to 138,000 people and leaves 400,000 surviving victims with permanent physical disabilities [1]. Snakebite is both a consequence and cause of tropical poverty, with those residing in some of the world’s most disadvantaged farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia forming the majority of snakebite patients. Antivenom is the only treatment for snakebite, and is produced by injecting a horse (or similar livestock animal) with small quantities of venom, and then collecting the antibodies that are produced by the animal against the toxins to treat snakebite victims. Unfortunately, antivenoms are expensive to produce safely, often making it unaffordable for the patients who need it most. To raise awareness of the challenges associated with antivenoms, the CSRI and our international collaborators helped film the documentary “Minutes to Die” (https://minutestodie.com/).

Snakebite treatments that are safe, affordable, and easily accessed and administered are desperately needed, and some of the work we do looks at ways to both improve and develop new treatments. One such success story is the antivenom EchiTAb, which was manufactured to resolve the antivenom crisis in Nigeria (https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/research/collaborations/echitab-study-group-2006-%E2%80%93-2012), and made using venom extracted from snakes in our herpetarium. We are also working to develop novel therapeutics to treat snakebite, such as nanobodies (smaller, more stable antibodies from camelids) and repurposing drugs used for other diseases (check out our website for all of our projects: https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/the-centre-for-snakebite-research-interventions).

Additionally, snake venom is a goldmine of new therapeutics. Snake venoms contain many compounds that could be utilised in the treatment of cancers, bacterial infections, blood disorders and strokes. In 1981, the first snake venom derived drug, a compound extracted from the venom of the Brazilian Arrowhead Viper, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This compound, named captopril, treats a range of cardiovascular conditions, including high blood pressure, renal failure in diabetics and the treatment of patients after a heart attack [2]. There are now five additional snake venom derived FDA approved drugs on the market, and many more either in clinical trials or in early development phases [3]. 

Snake venom compounds may hold the key to one of the biggest challenges facing medicine, antimicrobial resistance. The emergence of resistant bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites is increasing each year and traditional drugs used to treat these infections are becoming less effective. Various proteins isolated from snake venoms have shown the ability to kill bacteria grown on agar plates and have even been effective in mice models, demonstrating that these compounds are not only capable of killing bacteria, but are also safe [4]. There have been encouraging results when scientists have used venom toxins to treat multidrug resistant strains of malaria and other parasites that cause death and disability on a large scale. Perhaps it is no surprise that the ancient Greek God of Medicines’ symbol is a staff with a snake wrapped around it given that these feared animals may just be the answer to many of our medical challenges. 

Venomous snakes understandably inspire fear, especially given the snakebite health crisis, but the snakes at LSTM help us to save human lives, allowing us to better understand their venoms and develop better disease treatments. Ultimately, we hope our work will promote their conservation by creating improved outcomes for everyone, including our scaly friends. 

By Keirah Bartlett (PhD candidate) and Rachael Da Silva (Research assistant), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

References:

1. Gutiérrez, J. M. et al. Snakebite envenoming. Nat. Rev. Disease Primers (2017) 

2. Bryan, J. From Snake Venom to ACE inhibitor- the discovery and rise of captopril. The Pharmaceutical Journal (2009). 

3. El-Aziz, et al. Snake venoms in drug discovery: valuable therapeutic tools for life saving. Toxins (2019)

4. Charvat, et al. Analysis of snake venom composition and antimicrobial activity. Toxicon (2018)

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not a reflection of BIAZA's positions.