Discovery of Antibodies and Novel Antivenoms against Envenoming

Dear Colleagues,

Envenomings caused by animals constitute a real threat to many people living in rural conditions across the globe. Although effective antisera have been available for more than a century, opportunities for improvement still exist. Novel approaches may deliver antivenoms against envenomings for which there is currently no treatment. Independence of venoms in the manufacturing process may be achievable through novel immunization methodologies. Costs of manufacturing may be improved via intelligent engineering approaches. Additionally, advances in biotechnology hold the promise of unlocking the next generation of recombinant antivenoms that may be based on camelid antibody fragments, human antibodies, or yet to come molecular formats. Additionally, classical medicinal chemistry approaches could aid in developing inhibitors against toxins with enzymatic function. Finally, the introduction of cutting-edge technologies utilized for investigating specificity, cross-reactivity, neutralization potential, and other important antivenom/antibody properties may help guide antivenom research and allow researchers to identify promising toxin-neutralizing molecules.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of the different technological avenues that are being pursued within the development of novel antivenoms. Moreover, this Special Issue wishes to highlight the most recent advances within the discovery of toxin-targeting antibodies and technologies used to guide their development. We invite original research papers, reviews, short communications, commentaries, and letters to the editor.

Prof. Dr. Mikael Rørdam Andersen
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andreas Hougaard Laustsen
Guest Editors

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