Opossums Could Hold the Key to Saving Snakebite Victims

Scientists pinpoint a compound in the marsupial’s blood that neutralizes venom—could it help in the quest to create a universal antivenom?

by Jason Bittel

Scientists say its blood may be key to fighting the effects of snakebites worldwide.

In lab experiments with mice, a team discovered the exact molecule, called a peptide, in the North American marsupial’s blood that can neutralize snake venom. The peptide worked against several venomous snake species, including America’s western diamond back rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) and India’s Russell viper (Daboia russelii).

"The mice that were given the venom incubated with the peptide never showed any signs [of being sick]," says Claire Komives, a professor of chemical engineering at San Jose State University in California.

Scientists have known since the 1940s that Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) possessed some level of immunity to snake venom, Komives notes. Other mammals, such as ground squirrels and honey badgers, also have natural immunity to venom…

(read more: National Geographic)

photograph by Sebastian Kennerknecht, Minden Pictures/Corbis