Plain English The quest to make snake bites less lethal
Nov 17, 2025
Snake bites claim over 100,000 lives annually, but the treatment, antivenom, has remained largely unchanged. Researchers are now pursuing universal antivenoms that could protect against various venoms. One team is using llama nanobodies, while another harnessed a man’s antibodies from repeat bites. Current antivenoms face issues like allergic reactions and short shelf lives. If successful, these advancements could revolutionize snake bite treatment, enabling mass production and saving lives worldwide.
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Species-Specific Treatment Problem
- Hospitals must identify the snake species to give the correct antivenom because venoms vary by species.
- This species-by-species requirement makes treatment slow, risky, and logistically difficult.
Antivenom Production Limits
- Current antivenom production relies on milking snakes and immunizing large animals like horses.
- The process is labor-intensive, biologically variable, requires refrigeration, and produces waste from short shelf life.
Nanobodies Offer Broad Protection
- Llamas and alpacas produce nanobodies that can neutralize many toxins and be manufactured in labs.
- A llama/alpaca-derived cocktail protected mice against most tested deadly venoms and can be frozen for remote use.