A5049932511- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Biochemical and Structural Characterization
- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Healthcare and Venom Research
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Sperm and Testicular Function
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
- Reproductive Biology and Fertility
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Cellular transport and secretion
- Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
- Bioactive Natural Diterpenoids Research
- Proteins in Food Systems
- Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
2016-2025
Ministry of Health
2023-2024
Institute of Primate Research
2023-2024
University of Utah
2023
Queen Mary University of London
2023
Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia
2020
Bangor University
2020
The University of Queensland
2020
University of California, San Diego
2020
Swansea University
2020
Most epidemiological and clinical reports on snake envenoming focus a single country describe rural communities as being at greatest risk. Reports linking snakebite vulnerability to socioeconomic status are usually limited anecdotal statements. The few with global perspective have identified the tropical regions of Asia Africa suffering highest levels snakebite-induced mortality. Our analysis examined association between globally available data mortality indicators poverty.We acquired (i)...
Significance Snake venoms are toxic protein cocktails used for prey capture. To investigate the evolution of these complex biological weapon systems, we sequenced genome a venomous snake, king cobra, and assessed composition venom gland expressed genes, small RNAs, secreted proteins. We show that regulatory components secretory system may have evolved from pancreatic origin toxin genes were co-opted by distinct genomic mechanisms. After co-option, important capture massively expanded gene...
In one of his final essays, statesman and former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan said, ‘Snakebite is the most important tropical disease you’ve never heard of’ [1]. Mr. firmly believed that victims snakebite envenoming should be recognised afforded greater efforts at improved prevention, treatment, rehabilitation. During last years life, he advocated strongly for World Health Organisation (WHO) global community to give priority this poverty its victims.
The processes that drive the evolution of snake venom variability, particularly role diet, have been a topic intense recent research interest. Here, we test whether extensive variation in composition medically important viper genus Echis is associated with shifts diet. Examination stomach and hindgut contents revealed extreme between major clades proportion arthropod prey consumed. toxicity (median lethal dose, LD 50 ) representative venoms to natural scorpion species was found be strongly...
Significance The toxic composition of snake venom varies between species. Such variation can have major medical implications for the treatment human snakebite victims. Venom is largely attributed to differences in toxin-encoding genes present genome or gland snakes. Here, we demonstrate that mechanisms affecting transcription, translation, and posttranslational modification toxins also significantly contribute diversity protein composition. observed related species therefore result a complex...
From offense to defense Venom in snakes is largely used subdue and/or kill prey, and most venoms have clear actions that facilitate death or paralysis. In one group of snakes, however, venom has evolved shifted from predation protection. Specifically, three different lineages “spitting” deter predators. Kazandjian et al. show similar adaptions occurred within these transform cytotoxic components into a mixture acts on mammalian sensory neurons causes pain. The authors argue increased led...
Snakebite envenoming is a major global public health concern for which improved therapies are urgently needed. The antigenic diversity present in snake venom toxins from various species presents considerable challenge to the development of universal antivenom. Here, we used synthetic human antibody library find and develop an that neutralizes long-chain three-finger α-neurotoxins produced by numerous medically relevant snakes. Our bound diverse toxin variants with high affinity, blocked...
Venomic analysis of the venoms Naja nigricollis, N. katiensis, nubiae, mossambica, and pallida revealed similar compositional trends. The high content cytotoxins PLA(2)s may account for extensive tissue necrosis characteristic envenomings by these species. abundance a type I α-neurotoxin in nubiae be responsible lethal toxicity this venom (in rodents). ability EchiTAb-Plus-ICP antivenom to immunodeplete neutralize African spitting cobras was assessed antivenomics neutralization tests. It...
Gene duplication is a key mechanism for the adaptive evolution and neofunctionalization of gene families. Large multigene families often exhibit complex evolutionary histories as result frequent acting in concordance with positive selection pressures. Alterations domain structure genes, causing changes molecular scaffold proteins, can also history has been observed functionally diverse toxin Here, we investigate role alterations have on tempo using snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs)...
Venom variation occurs at all taxonomical levels and can impact significantly upon the clinical manifestations efficacy of antivenom therapy following snakebite. Variation in snake venom composition is thought to be subject strong natural selection as a result adaptation towards specific diets. Members medically important genus Echis exhibit considerable composition, which has been demonstrated co-evolve with evolutionary shifts diet. We adopt gland transcriptome approach order investigate...
Snakebite envenoming constitutes a serious medical condition that primarily affects residents of rural communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and New Guinea [1], [2]. It is an occupational, environmental, domestic health hazard exacerbates the already impoverished state these [3]. Conservative estimates indicate that, worldwide, more than 5 million people suffer snakebite every year, leading to 25,000–125,000 deaths, while estimated 400,000 are left with permanent disabilities [4]–[7]....
Snakebite is a medical emergency causing high mortality and morbidity in rural tropical communities that typically experience delayed access to unaffordable therapeutics. Viperid snakes are responsible for the majority of envenomings, but extensive interspecific variation venom composition dictates different antivenom treatments used parts world, resulting clinical financial snakebite management challenges. Here, we show number repurposed Phase 2-approved small molecules capable broadly...
Background Antivenom is the treatment of choice for snakebite, which annually kills an estimated 32,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa and leaves approximately 100,000 survivors with permanent physical disabilities that exert a considerable socioeconomic burden. Over past two decades, high costs most polyspecifically-effective antivenoms have sequentially reduced demand, commercial manufacturing incentives production volumes combined to create continent-wide vacuum effective snakebite therapy....
Snake envenoming causes several potentially lethal pathologies. The specific pathology is dictated by the toxin composition of venom, which varies species, geography and ontogeny. This variation severely restricts paraspecific efficacy antivenoms used to treat snakebite victims. With a view devising pathology-specific treatments, we assessed procoagulant activity 57 snake venoms investigated various antivenoms. We find that act differentially on key steps coagulation cascade, certain...
Snakebite envenoming causes 138,000 deaths annually, and ~400,000 victims are left with permanent disabilities. Envenoming by saw-scaled vipers (Viperidae: Echis) leads to systemic hemorrhage coagulopathy represents a major cause of snakebite mortality morbidity in Africa Asia. The only specific treatment for snakebite, antivenom, has poor specificity low affordability must be administered clinical settings because its intravenous delivery high rates adverse reactions. This requirement...