Virus-like particles displaying conserved toxin epitopes stimulate polyspecific, murine antibody responses capable of snake venom recognition.

ABSTRACT: Antivenom is currently the first-choice treatment for snakebite envenoming. However, only a low proportion of antivenom immunoglobulins are specific to venom toxins, resulting in poor dose efficacy and potency. We sought to investigate whether linear venom epitopes displayed on virus like particles can stimulate an antibody response capable of recognising venom toxins from diverse medically important species. Bioinformatically-designed epitopes, corresponding to predicted conserved regions of group I phospholipase A₂ and three finger toxins, were engineered for display on the surface of hepatitis B core antigen virus like particles and used to immunise female CD1 mice over a 14 weeks. Antibody responses to all venom epitope virus like particles were detectable by ELISA by the en

SUBMITTER: Menzies SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9256628 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature