# Evaluation of Toxicity Score and Precise Snake Venom Analytics for Next Generation Antivenom Development

> **NIH NIH SC2** · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE · 2021 · $138,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The overall goal of this project is to engage undergraduate and graduate students in innovative studies in
molecular toxinology that have the potential to contribute to important advances in our understanding of snake
venom pathology and the development of novel antibody-based therapeutics. According to WHO statistics, it is
estimated that in 2020 there will be 125,000 new deaths world-wide reported due to snake envenomation. In
spite of its importance for snake bite envenomation as a neglected tropical disease and global health issue,
very little is known of the mechanism of action of snake venom and intrinsic toxic/lethal contribution. The
scientific foundation for our study is that a specific combination of snake venom toxins plays a critical role in
snakebites by causing necrosis, coagulopathy, severe hemorrhaging and eventually death. Inasmuch as
individual toxins have been evaluated, synergistic mechanism for snake venom pathology are lacking and
warranted for antidote development. We hypothesize that precise toxicity evaluation and snake venom
analytics of crude/fractionated venom and recombinant toxins will provide a model in which priority
can be given to the most toxic venom component(s). To test our hypothesis, we will address (3) Specific
Aims: Specific Aim 1: To profile snake venom composition, combinational assessment and intrinsic
toxicity. We will purify and characterize snake venom of Crotalid snake species. Characterization will include
profiling snake venom to identify the toxins in each fraction and abundance. Students will investigate the
mechanism of action different combinations of venom fractions. We will characterize the lethal
concentrations/doses of each venom fraction on HUVEC cells, blood coagulation, and will validate the toxicity
score for each fraction using an in vivo lethality mouse model. Specific Aim 2: To produce recombinant
venom peptides. We will clone these toxins from our collection of cDNA libraries and will generate plasmids
and transform competent E.coli cells for protein expression and purification. Development of methods to
produce recombinant toxins is essential for antivenom development and investigating toxicity and targets for
medically relevant venom peptide. These studies will also be essential to use toxins in solving structures to
venom toxins or structures in complexes with known targets. Specific Aim 3: To identify snake venom
biomarkers in plasma exosomes. We will explore the “venom-reactome” using novel Evtrap technology and
proteomics in discovery-based analysis of snake venom biomarkers from mouse plasma exosomes.
Comprehensive snake venom biomarker analysis will shed new light on the pathophysiology, metabolic,
biological, cellular and immunological responses to snake venom.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10150909
- **Project number:** 5SC2GM136606-02
- **Recipient organization:** TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE
- **Principal Investigator:** Jacob Anthony Galan
- **Activity code:** SC2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $138,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10150909

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10150909, Evaluation of Toxicity Score and Precise Snake Venom Analytics for Next Generation Antivenom Development (5SC2GM136606-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10150909. Licensed CC0.

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