The long-term goal of the MBRS program is to strengthen the biomedical research at Texas A&M University-Kingsville so that both students and faculty can better serve the health care needs of th Nation. The proposed MBRS program has an enrichment element which involves both students and faculty. Students and faculty will develop research skills at major universities. The faculty will then return and develop competitive biomedical research programs. Both students and faculty will present papers at professional meetings and publish in journals from the research that they conducted during the summer. The proposed enrichment activities will include: (1) monthly seminars which will be presented by minority speakers who are actively engaged in careers in the biomedical field, (2) travel for faculty and students to attend scientific meetings, workshops and seminars, (3) workshops on campus at which students and faculty will have a hands-on experience with modern techniques used in biomedical research, (4) funds for four students to work under the direction of established scientists during the summer, and (5) salary for three faculty to work in the laboratory of an established scientist in the summer. The MBRS program also contains a research project in which Dr. Perez and students will continue to study the mechanism of venom neutralization in arm-blooded animals that have a natural resistance to snake venom. Purification of hemorrhagins in snake venoms and antihemorrhagins in resistant animals will be continued so that peptide mapping studies can be conducted on the antihemorrhagins. A smaller segment of the antihemorrhagin will be tested to determine effectiveness of venom neutralization. Antihemorrhagins with a molecular weight of less than 10,000 would not be antigenic and could be used in snakebite treatment without allergic reactions. A five step ELISA is being developed to measure the binding activity of the naturally occuring antihemorrhagins in resistant animals. Once this test is developed testing for antihemorrhagins with live animals will be greatly reduced. Other warm blooded animals can be tested without the excessive use of live animals (rabbits and mice).
| Salazar, Ana Maria; Guerrero, Belsy; Cantu, Bruno et al. (2009) Venom variation in hemostasis of the southern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri): isolation of hellerase. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 149:307-16 |
| Perez, J C; Sanchez, E E (1999) Natural protease inhibitors to hemorrhagins in snake venoms and their potential use in medicine. Toxicon 37:703-28 |
| Sanchez, E E; Garcia, C; Perez, J C et al. (1998) The detection of hemorrhagic proteins in snake venoms using monoclonal antibodies against Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) serum. Toxicon 36:1451-9 |
