ADVANCED APPROACHES FOR IN-DEPTH STUDIES OF TOXIN-ANTIBODY AND TOXIN-ADDOMER INTERACTIONS, PAVING THE WAY TO IMPROVED SNAKEBITE TREATMENTS.

Snake envenomation constitutes a major health concern across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and subtropical regions with rural populations primarily affected. Each year, between 80 and 138 thousand fatalities occur from snakebite envenomation and three times as many people with disabilities even after treatment. The only treatment available for envenomation is antivenoms, which are serum containing Immunoglobulins G (IgGs) targeting venom toxins. Even if antivenoms undeniably save lives, they also provoke side effects. In this context, Antivenomics focuses on characterizing the antivenom’s reactivity against venom toxins using proteomics techniques. The objective of my PhD project is to develop a new magnetic-bead based antivenomics methodology. This methodology is designed to be faster, suitable for automation, and use fewer solvents and fewer compounds of medical interest comparing the most popular method, third-generation Antivenomics.