Pit viper to save lives in new hydrogel substance, utilised venom stops organ bleeding in seconds

Researchers have found a new way to reverse the deadly effect of the venom of pit vipers by developing a nanofibre hydrogel that can stop bleeding in less than six seconds. The hydrogel works even in patients using anticoagulants, the medicines that prevent blood clot or the formation of blood into solid or semisolid state.

Researchers from the Rice University in the U.S. call the hydrogel as SB50. The hydrogel incorporates a type of venom, batroxobin, produced by two species of pit viper commonly found in South America. The SB50 works by being injected to the site of a wound, immediately thickening into a gel and covering the space in the wound.

The study, published in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, shows that the process only takes six seconds to promote clotting. The venom, batroxobin, has been long known for its coagulant properties, and utilising it into the new hydrogel has helped enhance its effect.

“It’s interesting that you can take something so deadly and turn it into something that has the potential to save lives,” said researcher Jeffrey Hartgerink, a chemist at the Rice University, in a press release.

Aside from batroxobin, there are other factors that can promote blood clot; however, as many patients commonly take anticoagulants, most of these factors tend to be ineffective, according to Hartgerink. He added that anticoagulant drugs, like heparin, can make blood clot work slowly or poorly, which can cause problems when the patient experiences bleeding.

Heparin blocks the function of an enzyme, called thrombin, which administers blood clot in normal circumstances and prevents excessive bleeding.

The batroxobin venom in the hydrogel also works the same with thrombin, but patients would benefit more as heparin is unable to block its function. With the venom, the SB50 would be the “life-saver” for patients who have very thin blood to promote clot, according to Science Alert.

“This is important because surgical bleeding in patients taking heparin can be a serious problem,” Hartgerink said. "The use of batroxobin allows us to get around this problem because it can immediately start the clotting process, regardless of whether heparin is there or not.”

However, even with the proven, promising effect of the new hydrogel, the researchers said that it will take several more years of tests to introduce it as a therapeutic product.

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