How can you make an antidote with venom
In: Biology
You give the venom to an animal that doesn’t get killed by it like horses or sheep, then you collect the antibodies the horse or sheep makes to counter the venom.
When an animal is infected with venom it will mount an immune response against the venom—just as it would if infected by bacteria or virus. To produce antivenin you would inject a living organism with a small amount of venom and then harvest the antibodies for use in infected patients.
It’s like super expensive though so it’s not used unless absolutely necessary.
Small doses of venom are not lethal, but can be used to generate antibodies (or parts of antibodies) against the venom, similar to how you would generate antibodies in response to an infection or vaccine. Generally small amounts of venom are administered to a species (like sheep) and we can extract and purify the antibodies after they develop and administer them to an affected individual.
The antibodies in the antivenom bind up the venom in the blood and prevent it from having effects at the tissue level; however, they generally have very limited effects on the damage already done to tissues which is why there is a time-dependence. There are other medications like varespladib which directly inhibit some of the enzymes in venom at the tissue level and have had promising results in clinical trials.
I use a Pyrex measuring cup with venom in it, say a quick spell then stir it with an Uno Reverse card.
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