According to researchers, eastern brown viper venom gel can save lives. The eastern brown viper is known for lurking in different hiding spots where it captures Australian rodents. Brown vipers are among the deadliest land snakes and come second on the list. These reptiles can kill humans within half an hour. However, the venom of this snake and of the Australia saw-scaled viper can save lives. It may sound unbelievable, but some scientists have discovered this helpful trait.
The team of the University of Queensland has made a venom gel. It comprises two recombinant snake venom proteins. Moreover, it can initiate blood clotting and prevent the breakdown of blood clots. The team is based at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and the paper has been published in Advanced Healthcare Materials.
A Complex Matrix
Venom is a complex matrix with proteins and there are some proteins that help in blood clots as well. The gel of the venom remains in its liquid state and when it is close to the body temperature, it solidifies. This characteristic makes it a great property for healing wounds. Although when doctors or nurses learn first aid training, it relies on gauze products, it does not always stop the bleeding.
When the venom gel will be tested and approved during the trial, it can save lives, in addition to first aid kits. Especially for the military and public.
Postdoctoral research fellow Amanda Kijas said,
“As many as 40 per cent of trauma-related deaths are the result of uncontrolled bleeding, and this figure is much higher when it comes to military personnel with serious bleeding in a combat zone.”
“Nature has created the most elegant and sophisticated mechanisms, and we can repurpose them to save people from dying due to uncontrolled bleeding.”
She further added,
“The research shows there is five times less blood loss, and clots form three times more quickly when the venom gel is applied, compared to the body’s natural process. This even includes people with haemophilia and those using blood thinners.”
Pre-Clinical Testing of the Venom Gel
The venom gel is going through pre-clinical testing right now and will soon be available for commercial usage. Moreover, Mark Midwinter is conducting this work at the University of Queensland.
Kijas said,
“When a traumatic injury occurs, the complexity of the healing process overloads the body’s capacity to control the bleeding,”
She further said,
“We hope this gel will accelerate the wound-healing processes needed for clotting and reducing blood flow, ultimately boosting the body’s capacity to heal large wounds.”
Pre-Clinical Evaluation of the Venom Gel
Researchers are testing the venom gel in pre-clinical evaluation, and it is being scaled to being used commercially. It will be a collaboration with Professor Mark Midwinter of the School of Biomedical Sciences. In addition, with Metro North Health, at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Herston Biofabrication Institute, are also trying to explore how this technology can treat traumas and burns.
The Study
The leading cause of death even today is uncontrolled bleeding because of traumatic injuries. It can be prevented with better coagulation methods and fibrinolysis. The main issue in the hemostatic agents is that they need a functioning clotting system for bleeding control. Furthermore, the basis is mostly gauze scaffolds.
In this case study, a rapid wound sealant that consists of recombinant snake venom proteins and procoagulant ecarin, initiates rapid blood clotting. In addition, the antifibrinolytic textilinin prevents blood clot breakdown within a synthetic thermoresponsive hydrogel scaffold. It is proven that rapid clotting initiation is through nanomolar concentrations of venom protein and clot breakdown. The inhibition is effective with textilin.
Stable Clot Formation
A stable clot formation is within 60 seconds and not 8 minutes like normal. The study reveals that the hydrogel made using snake venom can control bleeding through warfarin. Moreover, it also reduces the blood volume from 48% to 12%, showing immune compatibility as well.
Furthermore, over here, a new class of rapid and stable blood clots demonstration is shown here in the presence of blood thinners.
Conclusion
It is also seen in this study that PIC did not delay the clot initiation time. The addition of the snake venom protein and textillin inhibited the breakdown fully. These two snake venom proteins were used for developing a wound sealant, basing it on synthetic PIC polymer.
Thromboelastographic Analysis
The analysis of the blood samples revealed that the snake venom could initiate rapid clotting and accelerate fibrin formation. Textilinin inhibited the clot, and the effects were and comparable with tranexamic acid and aprotinin given clinically.
The snake venom application on bleeding from a mouse tail amputation was controlled under coagulopathic and physiologic conditions. Textilinin is the second component that also ensures rapid delivery of topical antifibrinolytic, bypassing systemic side effects of current approaches in treatment. Furthermore, tranexamic acid also addresses fibrinolysis, which is not employed by any other hemostatic agent or dressing.
This approach can overcome the reasons why people bleed to death and control bleeding with blood thinners. For example, warfarin in combination with recombinant snake venom proteins. Moreover, further studies are being conducted on this unique hemostatic agent.
