Science & Technology

Is a spider bite vaccine on the cards ?

By T.K. Randall
May 10, 2013 ·  2 comments

Image Credit: CC 3.0 Repat In some countries there is a constant call for anti-venom treatments to deal with bites from some of the world's deadliest spiders. At the forefront of this research is a team of researchers from Brazil who are experimenting with a synthetic protein that is able to protect against the effects of the venom. In trials conducted on rabbits, the scientists found that it was able to offer pre-emptive protection against spider bites.

Spiders are a particularly big problem in Brazil where more than 7,000 people need to be treated for bites every year. "Existing anti-venoms are made of the pure toxins and can be harmful to people who take them," said Dr Carlos Chávez-Olortegui. "We wanted to develop a new way of protecting people from the effects of these spider bites without having to suffer from side-effects."[!gad]In some countries there is a constant call for anti-venom treatments to deal with bites from some of the world's deadliest spiders. At the forefront of this research is a team of researchers from Brazil who are experimenting with a synthetic protein that is able to protect against the effects of the venom. In trials conducted on rabbits, the scientists found that it was able to offer pre-emptive protection against spider bites.

Spiders are a particularly big problem in Brazil where more than 7,000 people need to be treated for bites every year. "Existing anti-venoms are made of the pure toxins and can be harmful to people who take them," said Dr Carlos Chávez-Olortegui. "We wanted to develop a new way of protecting people from the effects of these spider bites without having to suffer from side-effects."

Source: BBC News | Comments (2)

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