Asynthetic antibody, made of plastic at the University of California Irvine (USA), has been sufficientlyeffective enough to save the life of a group of mice injected with bee venom. This is the first time that a product of this type has worked in live animals. Advancement opens the door to anew era in the treatment of infections and allergies.
The new antibodies consist ofplastic nanoparticles that have the same “shape” as natural antibodiesproduced by a living organism produces naturally. Its creators, led by Kenneth Shea, created the artificial antibodies through a process called “molecular printing” so that the polymers take the necessary shape to trap harmful molecules, in this casea poison called melittin present in bee venom, which can cause death.
In tests with mice inoculated with the synthetic antibodies and “control” mice, the scientists gave injections of lethal doses of melittin to all mice. In the control group all died, while60% of those who had previously received the dose of plastic antibodies survivedn. After a while, the artificial molecules were destroyed in the liver of the mice and eliminated from their bodies, according to the authors in the journalJournal of the American Chemical Society.
The new artificial antibodies could help humans survive when their own immune systems fail or are unable to deal with poisons or infections on their own.
