AM Biotech proposes to develop X-Aptamer-functionalized NanoSponges (XANS) as a multi-valent snakebite antidote using synthetic, ambient-stable affinity molecules (X-Aptamers) coupled to nanoporous silica microparticles (nanosponges). XANS would be ambient-stable, universal, available in remote locations, and would not cause anaphylactic reactions. The antidote would be injected in the field at the site of a suspected envenomation enabling the X-Aptamers attached to the vast surface area of the nanosponges to bind with high affinity to many, if not all, of the toxins present in venom. Once injected, the XANS would rapidly absorb a large quantity of the toxins present and sequester them. After several hours, the XANS would either be excreted with the sequestered toxins or collect in the liver (primarily) and degrade slowly over weeks, allowing the victim?s immune system and serum proteases to effectively deal with the toxins without significant side effects.
