From Fangs to Pharmacology

Talk arranged by the Danish Natural History Society. All are welcome free of charge. Torsdag d. 3/10 kl. 17:00, Universitetsparken 15, Bygning 1, Auditorium A, 2100 København Ø

From Fangs to Pharmacology
Associate Professor Brian Lohse
(Institute of Drug Design & Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen)

Since the time of dawn, the snake has fascinated humans and been worshipped as deities, a symbol of evil, but also the symbol of medicine, still today. This talk is about the consequences of snakebite, both medically and socioeconomically. How the lack of antivenom today is a global concern, and how to bring the production of antivenom into the 21st century, and perhaps save the lives of all the people dying every year from snakebite (>100.000).
Discussion of venomous snakes and their venom compositions, and how greatly it varies, and how this makes it a very difficult target to neutralize medically. In our research we milk the snakes and use the snake venom to discover and develop new types of antivenoms, and also use the venom as compound tools and look at their potential to treat other diseases, such as cancer.
We will present the latest research, and show how biotechnology might save the day, by producing better, safer and cheaper antivenoms, that people in developing countries, can afford. This also includes Steve Ludwin, who has injected himself with snake venom for decades, making it possible for us to isolate his antibodies and use them in our research, to make better antivenoms.