Resistance to acetylcholinesterase inhibiting snake venoms and like diseases

[venominme]

I have immunized myself with snake venom that acts as a powerful acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. That is how some venoms work to immobilize prey. Since I am resistant to this biological function, could my “immunity” be beneficial to persons who are afflicted with neurological disorders that begin or also express themselves as the inability to correctly resist acetylcholinesterase inhibitors? Since some of these diseases or immune system defects mimic a very long drawn out snake bite, (same thing is happening within moments or hours in certain envenomations) I am interested in making a connection with any researchers that might be interested in a hyperimmune person, and if the resistance can be transferred to stimulate another immune system to self correct the defect.

[Mokele]

It wouldn't have any beneficial effects. Your immunity is venom-specific, and is caused by your immune system recognizing and destroying the venom proteins. If you were injected with a different ACH inhibitor, you'd show no greater resistance than any other person, because it's not the ACH inhibition your immune system is recognizing, but the venom protein itself. Conversely, you may show higher immunity to related snake venom proteins with a similar structure but different function.

[GDG]

I have immunized myself with snake venom that acts as a powerful acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. That is how some venoms work to immobilize prey. Since I am resistant to this biological function, could my “immunity” be beneficial to persons who are afflicted with neurological disorders that begin or also express themselves as the inability to correctly resist acetylcholinesterase inhibitors? Since some of these diseases or immune system defects mimic a very long drawn out snake bite, (same thing is happening within moments or hours in certain envenomations) I am interested in making a connection with any researchers that might be interested in a hyperimmune person, and if the resistance can be transferred to stimulate another immune system to self correct the defect.

 

You have an interesting idea there, but it won't work quite the way you think. The AChE inhibitor in the venom is most likely a protein, and your antibodies will specifically bind to the venom protein. Now, if the disorders you're interested in were caused by the presence of AChE inhibitors endogenously present in the body, and they had a close physical similarity to the venom AChE, the antibodies might help. However, your body (if healthy) generally generates antibodies to foreign proteins -- not proteins that you yourself make. Thus, if the snake venom AChE inhibitor is at all different from the (possible) endogenous human AChE inhibitor, your body is going to tend to make antibodies that are specific for the part that is different.

 

Of course, the big assumption is that any of the neurological disorders are caused by endogenous AChE inhibitors: personally, I don't think that is very likely. Not impossible; just not likely to be the case.

[venominme]

My real assumption is that the neurological disorders are simple allergies and the cure is training the defective system to produce the correct IgG.

 

Maybe the disease is actually a defect in the production of one epitope so the key never quite fits the lock?

 

In people who fail to make antibodies that are specific for the part that is different (which becomes the disease) I was proposing using the response generated by the healthy immune system and transferring the successful production of the antibody to the one who is deficient. Maybe by being similar and provoking a correct response, the defective system is trained to recognize the other and respond correctly.

 

I am quite an uneducated amateur herpetologist, so take it for what it’s worth.

[Mokele]

But the antiobodies you produce are specific to the venom.

 

Someone with a Ach disease, it won't involve venom, so your antibodies would be useless.

[GDG]

My real assumption is that the neurological disorders are simple allergies and the cure is training the defective system to produce the correct IgG.

 

Maybe the disease is actually a defect in the production of one epitope so the key never quite fits the lock?

 

In people who fail to make antibodies that are specific for the part that is different (which becomes the disease) I was proposing using the response generated by the healthy immune system and transferring the successful production of the antibody to the one who is deficient. Maybe by being similar and provoking a correct response, the defective system is trained to recognize the other and respond correctly.

 

I am quite an uneducated amateur herpetologist, so take it for what it’s worth.

 

The class of antibody involved in allergies is called IgE, but I think I see what you're proposing.

 

There are a number of neurological disorders which are caused by a form (or forms) of autoimmune disease, including: Stiff person syndrome, Guillan-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and neuromyotonia.

 

If your hypothesis is that the body normally produces antibodies that react with neurotransmitter receptors, this is not too likely. Antibodies have properties other than just binding to an antigen. For example some classes of IgG activate complement, causing lysis and destruction of the cell to which the antibody attaches. Other IgG classes stimulate macrophages, inducing them to engulf and destroy the target. IgE antibodies have sequences that target mast cells, which release histamines and other chemicals when the IgE binds an antigen (Gesundheit!).

 

There are a number of interesting interactions between the nervous system and the immune system, but the interaction I think you're proposing is considered pathological.