Opossums (Photo : Twitter/@HuffPostQuebec)
Peptides from opossums have demonstrated immunity to venom from snake bites and scorpions, a research suggest.
In the 1940s, research was done on how opossums can counter the venom from snake bites as well as how their antivenom properties can be enhanced to be utilized by humans, as per CNET. Another study was done in the early 1990s to follow up and support the results from the earlier study. However, Claire F. Komives, a researcher from San Jose State University revealed that no study follow-up has been done after the two studies mentioned.
Komives' team found out from the 90s study that a small chain of amino acid called "peptide" is the one responsible for neutralizing snake venom, rendering it ineffective. Her team attempted to produce the said amino acid and tried it into mice who had received the venom from two reptile species - the United States Western Diamonback sattlesnake and Pakistan's Russell's Viper. The team discovered that the treatment was successful, since the mice became immune from the effects of the venom. They formulated a theory that peptides bind to a protein in the snake venom and neutralize its toxic effects.
Mortality from snake bites is low in the United States while high in India, according to Chemical & Engineering News. Komives said that an estimate of 100,000 deaths annually is related to snake bites, which are more common in rural areas that do not have access to antidotes.
In order to yield large quantities of peptides, Komives' research team collaborated with scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. The team engineered the bacteria Escherichia coli to allow synthesis of peptides, bringing multiple yields of the amino acids of the opossum protein. A protease will be used to release the individual peptides. For the team, this method is simple, inexpensive, and accessible, enabling to reach people in the poorer sectors.
The study team at the National natural Toxins Research Center at Texas A&M University, Kingsville, verified that the synthesized peptides immunized the mice from the rattlesnake venom as well as the bleeding effects of Russel's viper venom.
The said study is presented on March 23 at the 249th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, with the theme "The Chemistry of Natural Resources."
