Publications by authors named "Daniela Solano"

The immunization and industrial bleeding of horses are essential stages for producing snake antivenoms. In Costa Rica, the traditional method involves stimulating the antibody response of horses by periodically injecting venoms, collecting hyperimmune plasma over three consecutive bleeding days, and repeating this process every eight weeks. While this method does not cause major physical or hematological issues in horses, the associated stress has not been evaluated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The venom of Bothrops lanceolatus, a viper species from Martinique, is known to cause thrombosis, particularly in patients bitten by juvenile snakes, prompting research into the underlying mechanisms.
  • The study compared the venoms of juvenile and adult specimens, revealing that juvenile venom induces more significant thrombus formation in mice than adult venom, despite both having similar proteomes.
  • An experimental model showcasing the thrombotic effects of B. lanceolatus venom was established, highlighting the differences in effects between juvenile and adult specimens, and indicating that other factors like metalloproteinase activity may not be solely responsible for thrombus formation.
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Background: Envenomations by African snakes represent a high burden in the sub-Sahara region. The design and fabrication of polyspecific antivenoms with a broader effectiveness, specially tailored for its use in sub-Saharan Africa, require a better understanding of the immunological features of different Naja spp. venoms of highest medical impact in Africa; and to select the most appropriate antigen combinations to generate antivenoms of wider neutralizing scope.

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Background: Snakebite envenomation exerts a heavy toll in sub-Saharan Africa. The design and production of effective polyspecific antivenoms for this region demand a better understanding of the immunological characteristics of the different venoms from the most medically important snakes, to select the most appropriate venom combinations for generating antivenoms of wide neutralizing scope. Bitis spp.

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Article Synopsis
  • Vaccines are vital in fighting COVID-19 but may not work well for people with weakened immune systems, highlighting the need for alternative treatments like anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins.
  • A study compared two types of intravenous immunoglobulins: one made from vaccinated donors (VP-IVIg) and one from recovered COVID-19 patients (CP-IVIg), finding that VP-IVIg had higher concentrations of neutralizing antibodies.
  • The research suggests that VP-IVIg is safe and effective, and using caprylic acid precipitation is a practical method to produce these treatments, especially beneficial for lower-income countries facing the pandemic.
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  • SARS-CoV-2 variants are less effectively neutralized by vaccines and monoclonal antibodies, necessitating alternative treatments.
  • Researchers tested therapeutic equine polyclonal antibodies against five significant variants (alpha, beta, epsilon, gamma, delta) and found they efficiently neutralized these variants at very low concentrations.
  • Equine polyclonal antibodies offer a promising treatment option due to their effectiveness, broad coverage, low cost, and scalability for COVID-19.
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In the current global emergency due to SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, passive immunotherapy emerges as a promising treatment for COVID-19. Among animal-derived products, equine formulations are still the cornerstone therapy for treating envenomations due to animal bites and stings. Therefore, drawing upon decades of experience in manufacturing snake antivenom, we developed and preclinically evaluated two anti-SARS-CoV-2 polyclonal equine formulations as potential alternative therapy for COVID-19.

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Bothrops cotiara is a pitviper found in Southeastern Brazil and, scarcely, in the Misiones province of Argentina. In contrast to considerable information available on the venom of the Brazilian snake population, that of Misiones has received little attention. While exploring the chromatographic venom profile of Argentinean B.

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Unlabelled: The protein composition and toxinological profile of the venom of the African spitting elapid Hemachatus haemachatus (Ringhals) were characterized by bottom-up proteomics and functional in vitro and in vivo assays. Venom is composed of abundant three-finger toxins (3FTxs; 63.3%), followed by phospholipases A (PLAs; 22.

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Freeze-drying is a process used to improve the stability of pharmaceutical proteins, including snake antivenoms. This additional step confers these with a higher stability in comparison to liquid formulations, especially in tropical regions where high temperatures could affect the activity of immunoglobulins. Currently, the knowledge about freeze-drying process conditions for snake antivenoms is very limited.

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The pathogenesis of dermonecrosis induced by the venom of the African spitting cobra Naja nigricollis was investigated in a mouse model. Intradermal injection of venom induced a macroscopic necrotic lesion. Histological examination revealed early edema of the dermis, followed by blistering, loss of skin appendages and reduction in cellularity.

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