| Show i rp r. r i i Sl 1 91 I 1 4 r r Y ti rt s r w c 2 r I 4 r y U. U RA RATTLE RATTLESNAKES SNAKE S Rattlesnake extends fangs like this before it strikes Researchers induce the poisonous serpents to bite bete specially prepared beaker so venom can be col col- A new vaccine vaccine which provides provides provides pro pro- vides immunization against poisonous snakebites has been developed by researchers at atthe atthe atthe the University of oC Utah and the Veterans Administration Hospital Hospital Hospital Hos Hos- pital in Salt Lake City DR CLIFFORD CUFFORD C. C Snyder principal investigator on the research project and Gary R. R Hunter year third-year medical student who has conducted much of oC the laboratory work say the vaccine has already proven effective in experimental experimental experimental mental animals and will be ready for requested trial among a few Cew selected veterinarians veterinarians veterinarians this fall Call Dr Snyder is chairman of oC the Division of Plastic Surgery Surgery Surgery Sur Sur- gery at the University of Utah College of Medicine and chief of surgery at the VA Hospital Mr Hunter is one of oC Dr Snyders Snyder's research students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents who presented an winning award-winning paper on the treatment of oC at the Student Scientific Seminar Seminar Sem Sem- im inar r sponsored by the Student American Medical Association Association Association tion earlier this year OUR EXPERIMENTS have shown that it is possible to immunize humans against snake venom Dr Snyder said Such a vaccine wOL would d be valuable to game conservation officers armed forces Corces personnel and others who are exposed to possible poisonous poisonous pois poisonous pois- pois onous snakebites One member of oC the research team who has already tried the vaccine on himself has shown no ill effects and the level of antibodies in his blood remains high after alter more than thana a year THE RESEARCHERS are also working on an antivenin- antivenin the serum given to victims after they are bitten by poisonous poison poison- ous snakes that will be less likely to produce allergic reI re- re actions Antivenin now on I Ithe I the market is derived from Crom the blood of oC horses that have been injected with snake venom but many people are allergic to it The serum developed by the U research team is taken from Crom the blood of oC humans humans humans hu hu- hu- hu mans who have suffered natural natural natural nat nat- ural snakebites When the new vaccine is perfected for Cor humans the antivenin can humans the antivenin can also be derived from Crom the blood of oC persons that have been vaccinated vaccinated vaccinated vac vac- according to Dr Snyder The vaccine comes from pure venom that is extracted from Crom several species species' of oC snakes kept at the VA Hospitals Hospital's Hospitals Hospital's Hospitals Hospital's Hos Hos- pital's animal research facility facility facility fa fa- fa- fa by the researchers The venom is pur purified i d and its severe toxic characteristics characteristics characteristics character character- removed by a special process When the is injected into animals it still produces the desired antibodies antibodies antibodies anti anti- bodies without d destroying sue FIFTEEN do dogs doffs s' s re received received t Y vaccinations during clinical tests last summer Mr Hunter said All fifteen dogs when later challenged by double lethal doses of pur pure rattlesnake rattlesnake rattlesnake rattle rattle- snake venom survived with only slight soreness and minor swelling at the injection sites Though each dog received much more venom than a snake would deliver in a natural natural natural nat nat- ural bite the animals showed only minor discomfort Non vaccinated dogs if given half the amount of oC venom wot would d experience immediate excruciating excruciating excruciating ex ex- pain respiratory difficulty ty and death within 24 hours Dr Snyder says there is much to be learned before beCore the vaccine can be made available for Cor human use but buthe buthe buthe he foresees no insurmountable able obstacle in achieving this his goal WHEN THE vaccine is finally perfected and tested by the Food and Drug Administration Administration Administration Ad Ad- ministration Dr Snyder plans to turn it over to the sity which in turn can negotiate negotiate negotiate for commercial manufacture manufacture manu manu- facture with a pharmaceutical cal company I wOL would d like to emphasize that the vaccine is still very much in the experimental stages Dr Snyder said Even though we a are e pleased with the preliminary results it may be some time before it is generally available to veterinarians or ready for Cor trial in humans DR SNYDER foresees the day when mankind will no longer have to fear Cear poisonous snakes Thousands of oC people now die every year from snake most of them in Asia About pe persons sons are bitten every year i in the US U.S. by rattlesnakes copperheads copperheads copperheads copper copper- heads cottonmouths and coral snakes While the death rate in this country is less than 15 per year many people are disfigured disfigured disfigured dis- dis figured for Cor life because of oC th the 1 Jt toxic x c effe effects of the venom THE U researchers are now working with several species of oC rattlesnakes but in the future plan to make a toxin that will provide protection against the other three poisonous poison poison- ous snakes found Cound in the US U.S. |
