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Do we have to "milk" snakes?
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by pygmybait on March 2, 2004
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I understand that in order to produce the various antisera for venomous snakebite, one must first obtain a sample of actual venom to process. Is there any reason why modern science can't produce a synthetic - type venom (ex. a generic N.American pitviper)? We see recombinant Human Growth Hormone and insulin all over the place along with a myriad of other drugs and chemicals so why not snake venom? Is it just a cost issue or is the venom simply too complex? Could it be too varied among individual species to actually say that one synthetic type could cover an entire species? Just an idea that came to me earlier today - Any thoughts?
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RE: Do we have to "milk" snakes?
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by Phobos on March 2, 2004
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Hi pigmybait:
Great question!
The short answer is yes, they are to complex to make in the laboratory. Your example of HGH or Insulin are perfect for recombinate technology. You are trying to make one compound therefore the gene for that one compound can be inserted into a bacterium and "hijacked" to make that one compound.
Snake venom is a very complex cocktail of enzymes and high molecular weight proteins. It varies from species to species and even region to region. Snakes even change the composition (not that they control it per-se)depending on diet.
Mark O'Shea just had one of his shows about the Russells viper in Burma. The antivenom made for the Indian Russells Viper is not effective in treating the Burma species. The venom composition is very different and very lethal.
I suggest you look at Wolfgang Wusters website.
http://biology.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/
There is just a wealth of information on his website about many topics. My hats off to him.." "He's the MAN"
Hope the short answer was useful..sadly somebody has to milk them for venom and risk envenomation.
Best,
Al Coritz
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RE: Do we have to "milk" snakes?
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by Naja_oxiana on March 3, 2004
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Let us also note that there have been traces of metal alloys found in some venoms, which act as a catalyst for certain enzyms or proteins. Some of the same enzyms or proteins that are in venom are almost completly homogenous to those which are in our own bodies--particularly prothrombin or any of the generically "heamotoxic" components.
To synthetically manufacture these seems too great a risk, in my eyes, because they must be reproduced in the right proportions and account for variabilities in geography, age, diet and any of the othre factors which can lead to differences in venom. Too much potential liability, though I'm not a lawyer.
That's why we're better off just getting it strait from the...er...horse's mouth.
Cheers
Roger
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