Download MendeleyStructural mechanisms behind the neutralisation of long-chain alpha-neurotoxins by broadly neutralising V H Hs discovered using a consensus antigen.
Damsbo, A., Burlet, N.J., Fernandez-Quintero, M.L., Benard-Valle, M., Overath, M.D., Guadarrama-Martinez, A., Vlamynck, A., Bisbo, I., Villalobos, C., Tulika, T., Alagon, A., Loeffler, J.R., Ward, A.B., Boddum, K., Morth, J.P., Rivera-de-Torre, E., Laustsen, A.H.(2025) Commun Chem 8: 209-209
- PubMed: 40681851 Search on PubMedSearch on PubMed Central
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01600-4
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9GCN - PubMed Abstract:
Snakebite envenoming, a neglected tropical disease, affects millions globally, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Developing broadly neutralising monoclonal antibodies offers a promising approach to address the antigenic variation present in snake venoms. In this study, we designed a long-chain consensus α-neurotoxin, LCC, to serve as an antigen in a phage display-based antibody discovery campaign. Utilising a yeast expression system, we expressed LCC and identified 21 variable domains of heavy-chain-only antibodies (V H Hs) from immune libraries. These V H Hs were assessed for their binding affinity to various long-chain α-neurotoxins and their neutralising capability in vitro. The V H H with the broadest cross-reactivity and highest affinity, TPL1158_01_C09, was co-crystallised with α-cobratoxin to elucidate its binding mechanism. In vivo rodent studies demonstrated the neutralisation potential of TPL1158_01_C09. Our findings highlight that the use of a consensus toxin as an antigen coincided with the discovery of broadly neutralising V H Hs against snake venom toxins.
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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