Chicken egg yolk antibodies (IgY)-based antivenom for neutralization of snake venoms: a review

Abstract

Snakebite and its envenomation are a significant health and economic burden worldwide. Animal (horse/sheep)-based immunoglobulins derived from hyperimmune animal serum or plasma is the current treatment modality for snake envenomation. Chicken egg yolk (IgY) antibodies in the recent past have become one of the promising tools for research as an alternative to these mammalian antibodies. IgY have been a reason of debate from past three decades for its applications in snakebite therapy. The ease of producing pure, specific, and high affinity antivenoms have shown that IgY antivenoms can be used for treating snake bites.

Keywords:

• Snakebite
• antivenoms
• IgY
• phage display technology
• monoclonal IgY

Acknowledgment

AC thank DBT-BIRAC for providing funding under the project BT/AIR0342/PACE-13/17. RS thank BIRAC-BIG- CCAMP0841/BIG-14/19 for providing funding to carry out research work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest.

Table 1. Comparison between IgY and IgG (adapted from Gilgunn et al. 2016).