Synthetic Antibody To Neutralise Deadly Snake Bite Toxin Developed

Snake Bite in India: Statistics

• India: It is home to over 300 species of snakes of which 60 species are known to be venomous.
• Statistics: As  per a systematic literature studies, In India around 58,000 deaths occur of an estimated 3-4 million snakebites annually which accounts for half of all snakebite deaths globally with Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan recording most deaths.
• Dedicated steps: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has  launched  a national programme for prevention and control of Snakebites in 2022 making it the first country in Asia.
• World Health Organisation: It  has categorised ‘snakebite envenoming’, a medical term for snakebite, as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) globally.
• Anti -snake venom in India: India uses polyvalent ASV which is developed using venoms of  common Indian cobra (Naja naja), common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) and saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus).

Antibodies

• They are also called as immunoglobulin.
• They are proteins produced by the immune system of a person when an unwanted substance or Antigen enters their body.  
  • An antigen: It is a foreign substance that enters a body which can  include bacteria, viruses, fungi, allergens, venom and other various toxins. 
• Antibodies bind to these antigens  in order to eliminate them from your system.
• Produced  by: They are produced by the B cells (plasma white blood cells).
  • The B cells divide and clone themselves when they come into contact with an antigen. These cloned B cell then  release millions of antibodies into our bloodstream and lymph system.
• Present in: They are located in various areas of our  body, including  skin, lungs, tears, saliva and even breast milk (colostrum)
• Types: 
  • IgG(This is the most common antibody, making up approximately 70% to 75% of all immunoglobulins in your body  mainly in blood and tissue fluids and protect  from viral and bacterial infections), 
  • IgM (Found in blood and lymph system they act as the first line of defense against infections and protects from bacterial and viral infections)
  • The other 3 types are  IgA, IgD, IgE
• Monoclonal antibodies: They are lab created antibodies which  mimic our  immune system’s natural ability to fight off pathogens. It  is a type of immunotherapy.