Biofactories Applied to Future Antivenom Production

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  Image Credit: By Ssiltane - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52242648 Biofactories Applied to Future Antivenom Production Abstract Background: Accidents caused by the  Loxosceles laeta  spider constitute a health problem in South America. Envenomation can lead to severe systemic manifestations, eventually compromising the patient’s life. Most regional health authorities consider antivenom administration the basis of effective treatment in the most serious cases. The availability of spider venom is the primary bottleneck for antivenom production. Herein, we present a novel biotechnological approach, based on the expression of recombinant versions of the most relevant toxin in loxoscelism, sphingomyelinase D (SphD), in insect larvae ( Spodoptera frugiperda ).  Methods: We produced two versions of SphD: one conserving its biological activities (wtSphD) and a second alternative that was designed to be genetically detoxified (dSphD...

Efficacy of oxygen-ozone therapy against the pro-necrotic action of Loxosceles rufescens toxic bite

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Efficacy of oxygen-ozone therapy against the pro-necrotic action of Loxosceles rufescens toxic bite

The bite of the Mediterranean recluse spider (Loxosceles rufescens Dufour, 1820, Araneae, Sicaridae) (Fig. 1A) has recently appeared in Italian news as the cause of fatal injuries that have led at least four people to death due to severe necrotic-inflammatory complications following exposure to the spider's toxic venom [1]. Following Loxosceles spiders’ bite, unless the victim has realized that the spider was close to him and due to the frequent absence of a verified culprit, a dramatic skin inflammatory and necrotic reaction can occur in rapid times, dumbfounding the victim. The reaction is known as loxoscelism and often involving phospholipases D as major components of the spider’s venom [2]. These ubiquitous group of enzymes, producing phosphatidic acid as a signaling molecule from degrading membrane phospholipids, induces an oxidative stress-mediated necrosis of tissues, for example vascular tissues [3]. Blocking the oxidative stress might be a possible therapeutical approach to halting the inflammatory necrotizing response caused by spiders of the Loxosceles genus.

Valdenassi, L., Franzini, M., Ricevuti, G., Tirelli, U., Carlo Galoforo, A., Vaiano, F., & Chirumbolo, S. (2024). Efficacy of oxygen-ozone therapy against the pro-necrotic action of Loxosceles rufescens toxic bite. International Immunopharmacology, 142, 113112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2024.113112