title: Human antibody fragments specific for Bothrops jararacussu venom reduce the toxicity of other Bothrops sp. venoms.
abstract: Approximately 20,000 snakebites are registered each year in Brazil. The classical treatment for venomous snakebite involves the administration of sera obtained from immunized horses. Moreover, the production and care of horses is costly, and the use of heterologous sera can cause hypersensitivity reactions. The production of human antibody fragments by phage display technology is seen as a means of overcoming some of these disadvantages. The studies here attempted to test human monoclonal antibodies specific to Bothrops jararacussu against other Bothrops sp. venoms, using the Griffin.1 library of human single-chain fragment-variable (scFv) phage antibodies. Using the Griffin.1 phage antibody library, this laboratory previously produced scFvs capable of inhibiting the phospholipase and myotoxic activities of Bothrops jararacussu venom. The structural and functional similarities of the various forms of phospholipase A2 (PLA₂) in Bothrops venom served as the basis for the present study wherein the effectiveness of those same scFvs were evaluated against B. jararaca, B. neuwiedi, and B. moojeni venoms. Each clone was found to recognize all three Bothrops venoms, and purified scFvs partially inhibited their in vitro phospholipase activity. In vivo assays demonstrated that the scFv clone P2B7 reduced myotoxicity and increased the survival of animals that received the test venoms. The results here indicate that the scFv P2B7 is a candidate for inclusion in a mixture of specific antibodies to produce a human anti-bothropic sera. This data demonstrates that the human scFv P2B7 represents an alternative therapeutic approach to heterologous anti-bothropic sera available today.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Crosara
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Roncolato
authors.forename: Manuela Berto
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pucca
authors.forename: Jaqueline Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Funayama
authors.forename: Thaís Barboza
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Bertolini
authors.forename: Lucas Benício
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: José Elpidio
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000997:Antivenins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D017837:Bothrops / Q000276:immunology*; D061505:Cell Surface Display Techniques; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D054467:Phospholipases A2 / Q000737:chemistry; D057127:Single-Chain Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D040681:Structural Homology, Protein
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000997:Antivenins; D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D057127:Single-Chain Antibodies; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D054467:Phospholipases A2