10173718The development of in silico designed human monoclonal antibodies for use in snake anti-venomsClosedFast Start ResponseInnovate UKSnakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease that affects over 2 million people annually, causing over 100,000 deaths and around 400,000 cases of permanent disability. The burden falls most heavily on rural and underserved communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Current treatments rely on antivenoms produced using antibodies extracted from horses immunised with whole venom. While life-saving, these antivenoms are expensive to produce, require cold-chain storage, and are associated with a high risk of adverse reactions up to 36% of patients experience hypersensitivity, and 17% suffer severe anaphylaxis. Beyond clinical drawbacks, traditional antivenom production raises ethical and legal concerns due to its dependence on live animals, both for venom extraction and plasma harvesting. These biologically variable and labour-intensive processes are difficult to scale and standardise, resulting in supply bottlenecks and inconsistent efficacy. This project aims to develop a more accessible and safer alternative: a recombinant antivenom that uses engineered human antibodies targeting key toxic proteins found in snake venom. By identifying and isolating specific venom components of medical importance, the project will generate monoclonal antibodies using recombinant DNA technologies, bypassing the need for animal immunisation. These antibodies will be produced in mammalian cell systems such as CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells, which are already widely used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The recombinant approach offers several benefits. It can reduce the risk of allergic reactions, improve the consistency of the product, and enable easier storage and distribution. Crucially, it is far more scalable and ethically sound, positioning it as a 21st-century solution to a long-standing global health challenge. By harnessing advances in synthetic biology, antibody engineering, and protein expression technologies, this project aspires to build a platform for next-generation antivenoms. If successful, this work could form the foundation for developing region-specific treatments that are more effective, safer, and more equitable.