Immunization of rabbits with nanovenom composed of Dendroaspis polylepis venom and silica nanoparticles: a first in vivo approach.

Dendroaspis polylepis inflicts severe neurotoxic envenomings due to its high content of potent neurotoxins. The poor immunogenicity of these toxins represents a significant challenge in antivenom (AV) generation. Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been proposed for use in medicine due to their ability to stimulate the immune system. This study explored the possible use of SiNPs as adjuvant (ADJ) mixed with D. polylepis venom (nanovenoms, NV) for immunization in rabbits, compared to venom emulsified with the traditional Freund ADJ and with venom alone. ELISA results show that sera from rabbits immunized with NV developed an antibody response similar to sera from rabbits immunized with Freund adjuvant, and did not develop significant lesions at the injection site. Western blot analysis indicates that NV sera group showed a strong recognition of neurotoxins and neutralized a challenge dose of venom (1.5 LD), increasing the survival time of mice. In conclusion, NV proved to be a good ADJ in immunization with D. polylepis venom and could be tested for AV industrial production.