Press/Media: Research
News story about my PNAS dermonecrosis paper.
| Title | Researchers Discover First Effective Treatment for Spitting Cobra Snakebite |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | International |
| Media name/outlet | Sci News |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| Date | 7/05/24 |
| Description | Spitting cobra venom is incredibly potent and causes dermonecrosis, which presents as rapid destruction of skin, muscle and bone around the site of the snakebite. This damage cannot be effectively prevented with current antivenom treatments, and patients are often left with life-changing wounds. In a new study, researchers from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and elsewhere used cellular and mouse experiments to determine which toxins in certain African spitting cobra venom are responsible for causing tissue damage, revealing that a combination of two different types of toxins is required to cause pathology. They then showed that the repurposed drug, varespladib, which targets one of these toxin types, effectively prevents skin and muscle damage in mouse models of envenoming. The findings suggest that varespladib could be an effective type of therapy for preventing snakebite morbidity in Africa. |
| Producer/Author | News Staff |
| Persons | Steve Hall |