Cross-neutralisation of Australian brown snake, taipan and death adder venoms by monovalent antibodies

• Main Authors: Isbister, Geoffrey K., O'Leary, Margaret A., Hagan, Jessica, Nichols, Kearney, Jacoby, Tammy, Davern, Kathleen, Hodgson, Wayne C., Schneider, Jennifer J.
• Other Authors: The University of Newcastle. Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2010
• Subjects: antivenom; cross-neutralisation; snake venom; Antarc*; antarcticus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/927061

An understanding of the cross-neutralisation of snake venoms by antibodies is important for snake antivenom development. We investigated the cross-neutralisation of brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) venom, taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) venom and death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) with commercial antivenoms and monovalent anti-snake IgG, using enzyme immunoassays, in vitro clotting and neurotoxicity assays. Each commercial antivenom bound all three venoms, and neutralised clotting activity of brown snake and taipan venoms and neurotoxicity of death adder venom. The ‘in-house’ monovalent anti-snake venom IgG raised against procoagulant brown snake and taipan venoms, did not neutralise the neurotoxic effects of death adder venom. However, they did cross-neutralise the procoagulant effects of both procoagulant venoms. This supports the idea of developing antivenoms against groups of snake toxins rather than individual snake venoms.