Heterologous fibrin sealant derived from snake venom: from bench to bedside – an overview
Rui Seabra Ferreira Jr1,2,4*, Luciana Curtolo de Barros2 , Luciana Patrícia Fernandes Abbade3 , Silvia Regina Catharino Sartori Barraviera3 , Maria Regina Cavariani Silvares3 , Leticia Gomes de Pontes1,2, Lucilene Delazari dos Santos1,2 and Benedito Barraviera1,2 [ + show more ]
Received: 14 January 2017 | Accepted: 16 March 2017 | Published: 04 April 2017
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40409-017-0109-8
Abstract
Hemostatic and adhesive agents date back to World War II, when homologous fibrin sealant came onto scene. Considering that infectious diseases can be transmitted via human blood, a new heterologous fibrin sealant was standardized in the 1990s. Its components were a serine protease (a thrombin-like enzyme) extracted from the venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus snakes and a fibrinogen-rich cryoprecipitate extracted from the blood of Bubalus bubalis buffaloes. This new bioproduct has been used as a coagulant, sealant, adhesive and recently as a candidate scaffold for mesenchymal stem cells and bone and cartilage repair. This review discusses the composition of a new heterologous fibrin sealant, and cites published articles related to its preclinical applications aiming at repairing nervous system traumas and regenerating bone marrow. Finally, we present an innovative safety trial I/II that found the product to be a safe and clinically promising candidate for treating chronic venous ulcers. A multicenter clinical trial, phase II/III, with a larger number of participants will be performed to prove the efficacy of an innovative biopharmaceutical product derived from animal venom.
Keywords: Fibrin sealant, Snake venom, Cryoprecipitate coagulum, Thrombin-like enzyme, Buffaloes