Posters and presentation information
Thank you for considering to present your work as a poster at this conference.
Digital poster preparation and submission
- Poster size: Prepare your poster as you would normally do for printing.
>Presenting only digitally: You can save your poster in sizes A1 or A0, landscape or portrait, as the page size is not important if presenting only digitally.
>Presenting in-person: Print hardcopy posters in A1 portrait format only.
>Larger posters and those in landscape format may not be displayed due to space constraints.
- Naming your poster files: Name your poster files as follows: <your surname>-Ven25-Poster.pdf. For example, for David Jones, name your file as Jones-Ven25-Poster.pdf.
>DO NOT name your poster files as, e.g., Oxford-poster, Venoms2025, Oxford-venoms-poster. Such files will not be considered.
- Poster submission and deadlines: All poster presenters, whether attending virtually or in-person, are required to submit a digital version of their poster for viewing by both virtual and in-person attendees. The posters will be made available via the secure ‘Download VEN25 Documents’ page to all conference participants.
>Submit your final poster as PDF (<5MB) and via the link below no later than the advertised dates.
>Late posters may not be included in the conference programme.
>DO NOT send your poster (or abstract) files by email.
>Please ensure you send us the very final version of your poster (as well as your poster abstract), as once published, it cannot be replaced.
Poster presentation
- Presentation time: There is no specific time for presenting digital posters. The participants will be able to interact with virtual presenters via the Zoom chatbox during the conference. However, we strongly recommend that the presenters submit a flash-talk video (see below) of their poster to get maximum exposure during and after the conference.
- Flash-talk videos: We are pleased to offer poster presenters the opportunity to prepare a short video presentation about their poster and send it before the conference. The videos will be made available on the LPMHealthcare YouTube channel. Below is further information for sending your video presentation.
>Download the opening slide (VenOx25 posters first slide) and use it as the first slide of your presentation (see example: https://youtu.be/XatqenCd_IU?si=Yu1PooCD4JmSLAiz).
>Give your presentation (no longer than 5 minutes) using Zoom or another platform of your choice.
>Convert the video into a format compatible with YouTube (e.g., MP4).
>Send your video to VenomsOxford@gmail.com using a file transfer program, such as MailBigFile or WeTransfer.
Hardcopy posters: If attending in-person, you may bring along a printed copy of your poster (maximum A1 size) to be displayed during the conference.
>Please note that you are responsible for printing your poster and only print in A1 portrait format.
>You may be assigned a specific day displaying your poster.
Any further information about the poster presentations will be available in the future on the conference website.
Upload Your Digital Poster
Before uploading your poster, you must make sure that you follow ALL of the instructions above!
Accepted posters (unedited)
(Presenters in Bold)
If your abstract has been accepted for presentation but it does not appear in the list below, please let us know as soon as possible by email at VenomsOxford@gmail.com.
Venom for health: discovery of drug template from scorpion venom for brain tumor
Mehtab Alam1, Hubert Kalbacher2, Munazza Raza3, Iftikhar Haider Naqvi4, Durrey Shahwar1, Humaira Hassan3, Muhammad Khurrum Abbas1, Mateen Ahmed Siddiqui1, Rameez Ahmed Khan1, Ibrahim Ahmed Khan1
1Dr Zafar H. Zaidi Center for Proteomics, University of Karachi, Pakistan
2Interfacultary Institute for Biochemistry, University of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 4, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
3Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, ICCBS, University of Karachi
4Medicine Unit, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
The central nervous system tumors are thirteenth most commonly diagnosed tumors in Pakistan and eighth most frequent cause of cancer related mortality. Glioblastoma is considered as one of the aggressive, deadliest and most abundant brain tumor in Pakistan. Various venomics studies revealed that venom is a cocktail of therapeutic compounds. Scorpions venom contain various bioactive peptides including antitumor peptides like Chlorotoxin which act on voltage gated chloride channel, annexin-2 and Matrix Metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) without harming normal cells. The chlorotoxin-like peptide has been isolated and sequenced from yellow scorpion of Sindh, Pakistan. The peptide named as Bs8 is synthesized by solid phase synthesis. The tumor suppression activity and IC50 value of crude scorpion venom and synthetic peptide was determined on Glioblastoma cell lines (U87-MG) in-vitro. Mechanism of cancer cell death was evaluated by ROS measurement and RT-PCR of apoptotic genes. The synthetic peptide showed activity on brain tumor cell lines and can be further optimized to use as drug template.
Development of an electrochemical model for the detection and evaluation of the potential toxicity of naturally occurring furanic compounds
Imène AYADEN1, Chouaha BOUZIDI1, Thomas GASLONDE1, Joëlle PERARD-VIRET1, Florence SOUQUET1, Céline HOFFMANN2, Xavier CACHET1
1CiTCoM UMR CNRS 8038, Faculty of pharmacy of Paris, Paris Cité University, Paris, France
2UTCBS UMR CNRS 8258 INSERM U1267, Faculty of pharmacy of Paris, Paris Cité University, Paris, France
Nature offers both therapeutic substances and toxic threats. The rise in popularity of plant-based remedies, often perceived as safer alternatives to conventional medicine, presents regulatory challenges due to limited pharmacological and safety data. Among the poorly characterized natural compounds, furanic compounds stand out. These molecules, defined by their furan or dihydrofuran ring, are found in plants, fungi, tobacco smoke, exhaust gases, and food, particularly roasted or processed ones such as coffee and baby food. Despite being labelled as potentially carcinogenic, their mechanisms of toxicity remain underexplored. Metabolic activation by cytochrome P450 enzymes converts these compounds into highly reactive 1,4-enedial intermediates, capable of trapping nucleophiles such as DNA and proteins, triggering oxidative stress and cellular injury. Such biochemical events contribute to a range of toxic effects across multiple organs, particularly the liver and tissues exposed via inhalation or ingestion. Chronic exposure has been linked to inflammation, tissue injury, and morbidity. With rising levels of environmental furans driven by industrial emissions and global warming, there is an urgent need for predictive tools to assess their toxicological profile. Our work aims to develop a robust electrochemical model that mimics CYP450-mediated activation to screen the toxic potential of furanic compounds. We investigated the relevance of redox potential as a predictive parameter for furan toxicity, and the correlation of this electrochemical model with the measure of CYP3A4 inhibition in a cell-based in vitro model using HepaRG cells. By simulating enzyme-like conditions, the electrochemical model could perform as a fast, mechanistic, and predictive tool for assessing the risks associated with exposure to both naturally occurring and other environmental furans, finally enabling more systematic safety assessments.
Reversing Renal Crisis: Snakebite-Induced AKI Successfully Managed with Dialysis and Polyvalent Antivenom in Cameroon
Tatiana K Djikeussi1,7, Rogacien Kana1, Jinette L Guedem1, Issaka Issa2, Yaouba Daoauda 2, Awelsa Benoit3, Malama Toussaint3, Louabalbe P. Emmanuel 4, Ngu Hilmann4, Armelle Messa5 Maraimou I Issa5, Arthur Djoumessi6, Nathalie Elombo6, Vishwas Sovani7, Deepak Langade7, Milind V Khadilkar7, Francis Noumen6
1Health for Africa Now, Douala Cameroon
2Regional Hospital Garoua, North Cameroon
3District hospital Mayo Oulo, North Cameroon
4District hospital Poli, North Cameroon
5District hospital Gashiga, North Cameroon
62N pharmaceutique, Douala Cameroon
7Premium Serums & Vaccines Pvt Ltd (PSVPL), India
Acute kidney injury (AKI) secondary to hematotoxic snakebite remains underrecognized and under documented, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We report the case of a 39-year-old woman bitten on the left foot by a West African carpet viper (Echis ocellatus) while farming in Northern Cameroon. She received six doses of antivenom and three units of blood at Poli district referring center before being transferred to Garoua Regional Hospital, eight days post-bite. At admission, she presented with hematemesis, tumefaction, hematuria, anuria, vomiting, and signs of volume overload. Despite being fully conscious, she was hemodynamically unstable (HR 93 bpm, BP 144/79 mmHg, Temp 36.6 °C), with pronounced pallor and leg swelling. Laboratory evaluation revealed leucocytosis, anaemia (Hb 7.3 g/dL), thrombocytopenia, and severe renal impairment (urea: 4.8 g/L; creatinine: 198 mg/L). Urinalysis showed proteinuria and ascorbic acid traces. Coagulation tests were abnormal. She was managed with four additional doses of PANAF-Premium polyvalent antivenom, four units of blood, and 12 haemodialysis sessions. Renal function and urine output progressively improved, allowing discharge on October 18. Follow-up on November 1 revealed fever, vomiting, and epigastric pain; she was treated for severe malaria and hyperalgesic gastritis. She has since resumed normal activities. This case demonstrates that even delayed AKI secondary to envenomation can be successfully reversed through sustained dialysis, prompt antivenom use, and supportive care. The absence of adverse events underlines the favorable safety profile of PANAF-Premium. Continued availability of free antivenom and renal support services is essential to improving outcomes in high-risk, rural settings.
Tracing the neutralization path: kinetics of antivenom activity in the lymphatic system following intramuscular and intravenous administration
Erika Gamulin1, Sanja Mateljak Lukačević1, Maja Lang Balija1, Ana Smajlović2, Dražen Vnuk2, Beata Halassy1 and Tihana Kurtović1
1Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 10, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2Clinic for Surgery, Orthopaedics and Ophthalmology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
In viper envenomation, the venom is typically injected into the subcutaneous or muscle tissue and is primarily absorbed through the lymphatic system before reaching the systemic circulation. Although antivenoms are central to snakebite treatment, most research has focused on their pharmacokinetics in the blood, leaving the role of the lymphatic system poorly investigated. Yet, this is where venom initially accumulates, suggesting that the lymph may be a critical space for early neutralization. The study aimed to improve our understanding of how antivenom behaves in the lymphatic system and to establish whether the route of administration, intravenous (i.v.) or intramuscular (i.m.), affects its ability to reach and neutralize venom at this early stage. We used sheep as a large animal model to simulate the human envenomation dynamics. A venom dose corresponding to a dose injected in the typical envenomation was applied subcutaneously (s.c.), followed by the antivenom administration either via an i.v. infusion or an i.m. injection. Lymph was continuously collected from the thoracic duct, and blood samples were taken at defined time points. Venom and antivenom concentrations were quantified using in-house ELISA assays. Our focus was on how quickly the antivenom reached the lymph, its peak levels, and the relationship with the decline of the venom in the same compartment. The findings reveal that the lymphatic system is not just a passive transport route, but also a key site of action. The appearance of antivenom in lymph varies depending on the administration route, and these differences can influence the effectiveness with which venom is neutralized before entering the bloodstream. Understanding this dynamic could help to refine treatment protocols and improve outcomes for snakebite patients, especially in settings where rapid intervention is critical.
Discovery of broadly neutralizing recombinant nanobodies for treatment of snakebite envenoming
Elpida Lytra, Melisa Benard-Valle, Alfredo Mena Samano, Shirin Ahmadi, Tom Jansen, Tasja Wainani Ebersole, Camilla Holst Dahl, Esperanza Rivera-de-Torre, Anne Ljungars, Andreas H Laustsen
Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Snakebite envenoming remains a major global health issue, causing over 100,000 deaths each year and leaving many survivors with long‑term disabilities. The current therapeutic plasma‑derived methods may save plenty of lives but suffer from variable efficacy, risk of adverse reactions, batch‑to‑batch inconsistency and high costs. To overcome these problems, we are developing a simple antivenom based on recombinant single‑domain antibodies (VHHs). By combining a small mix of VHHs that neutralize key toxins from several venomous species, we aim to create a more broadly applicable and consistent treatment. In this poster, I will explain how we discover cross-reactive and high-affinity VHHs that neutralize the major viper toxins from sub‑Saharan Africa. We first purify four toxin families, — phospholipase A₂s (PLA₂s), disintegrins, snake‐venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), and snake‐venom serine proteinases (SVSPs), —and then use phage display technology to select VHHs with strong, cross‑reactive binding. Finally, I will discuss the results from in vitro assays that identify the top VHH candidates.
First Investigation into IEC Snake Venom Toxic Fractions and Their Hematological Impact: Implications for Antivenom Development and Clinical Management
Nafiseh Nasri Nasrabadi1, Hossein Vatanpour2, Mehdi Kheirollahpour3
1Control of therapeutic antivenom serums, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran
2Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3Department of human vaccine and serum, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
Snake venom that affects the blood contain multitude proteins, including enzymes with diverse enzymatic potential to interfere on haemostatic and thrombosis mechanism when bites human. This study was carry out to investigate the biological effects of Echis carinatus (IEC) venom and its fractions on human body in Iran. This mixture has components with either synergistic or antagonistic effects on blood coagulation. Snake venoms far than some therapeutic effects, can be studied for the presence of endogenous antivenins that protect against their own toxins. In fact, without antivenin treatment, biological disturbances following snake envenomation in human quickly worsen and cause death. In-vitro and in-vivo coagulant assays were conducted to determine the effects of IEC venom and its fractions as well as the effectiveness of the polyvalent antivenin in neutralizing haematological manifestations. The results of the PT, APTT, TCT, FCT, haemorrhagic, defibrinogenating, platelet aggregation tests, and plasma hematologic parameters revealed the multifunctional features of toxins which can act on their multiple protein targets of prey. In this study, It is shown that EC bites can create severe haematological disorders within the first hours after envenoming, which require medical attention as soon as possible to reduce the severity of clinical symptoms. Further, numbers of purified fractions are more toxic than the crude venom. Eventually, in this study it is shown that polyvalent antivenin from Razi institute in Iran could led to neutralize the IEC venom biological and haematological effects.
Caught in the Kv web: screening arachnid venoms for modulators of Kv7.2/7.3 channels
Daniela Rojas-Azofeifa, Luca T Rieder, Andrew Walker, Linda Blomster, Glenn F King
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia
Spider venoms are a rich source of disulphide-rich peptides with potent and selective activity on ion channels. We are leveraging this natural diversity to identify modulators of Kv7.2/7.3 channels (encoded by KCNQ2/3), which underlie the neuronal M-current and play a critical role in controlling excitability. Gain-of-function (GoF) mutations in these channels are increasingly recognised in patients with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), many of whom are resistant to current antiepileptic treatments. To date, no approved therapies exist that specifically target GoF Kv7.2/7.3 dysfunction.Using high-throughput electrophysiology and spider venom fraction screening, we identified two novel peptides that act as negative modulators of voltage-dependent Kv7.2/7.3 activation. These represent the first venom-derived peptides shown to shift Kv7.2/7.3 gating in a manner that may counteract GoF mutations and restore more physiological excitability. Our findings support the potential of spider venom peptides as scaffolds for precision therapeutics targeting Kv7.2/7.3-related epilepsies. Ongoing work focuses on screening and identifying more venoms and peptides.
Overview of initial results in solving the disaster of poisonous snakebite victims in Vietnam since 1990
Kiem Xuan Trinh
Vietnam Society of Toxicology (VST) and Vietnam Institute of Toxicology (VIT), Vietnam
Objective: Vietnam (VN) is an agricultural & tropical country. It is very convenient for developing of the poisonous snakes. They are the perpetrators harming up to 30,000 (thirty thousand) victims per year with a very high mortality rate (19.5%), because there was no anti-venom (AV). The objective of present research program was to manufacture specific AV to each poisonous snake species, promptly meeting the clinical requirements to save the lives of envenomed victims in VN. According to the guidance of WHO and David Warrell, 03 venomous snake families with 13 species of medical importance in VN have been established. 06 specific AV types with each most dangerous and common venomous snake have been successfully researched and manufactured according to the technical process F(ab’)2. They are Naja kaouthia, Calloselasma rhodostoma, Bungarus candidus and Bungarus multicinctus, Ophiophagus hannah, Naja siamensis. After meeting all quality inspection criteria at the National Institute of Vaccine and Bio-products, the Ministry of Health of VN, AVs have been allowed to promptly apply clinical emergency to save the lives of 4,813 (Four thousand, eight hundred and thirteen) envenomed victims, who were threatened by death. The mortality rate of severely envenomed victim group had decreased from 19,5% to 0.24%. Permanent deformity rate had reduced from 14% to 05%. Amputation rate had reduced from 11% to 01%. However, the above research results were only the initial step and limited in the laboratory. Snakebite has been still neglected in VN. We urgently call for the attention of the State, domestic and foreign philanthropists to support the development of manufacturing AV program in order to timely save the lives of many thousands of envenomed victims in VN, Laos and Cambodia.
Listeriolysin O mutant LLOY406A: A Potential Therapeutic Agent Against Cancer Blood Cells
Apolonija Bedina Zavec1, Rebeka Podgrajšek1, Ana Špilak1, Maja Jamnik1, Gašper Šolinc1, Matic Kisovec1, Veronika Kralj-Iglič2, Gregor Anderluh1, Marjetka Podobnik1
1Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
2Biomedical Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a toxin of the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes that forms pores in cholesterol-rich lipid membranes of host cells. LLO has an optimum pH at 5.5, a condition found in late endosomes, while it can also bind to the membrane at neutral pH and form pores and damage cells. Mutant LLOY406A with a substitution (Try to Ala) at site 406 can bind to membranes and oligomerize similarly to wtLLO, but the final membrane insertion step requires an acidic pH. The LLOY406A mutant is less hemolytic than wtLLO and has a pH optimum at pH 5-6, which may be of interest for applications in medicine. In this study, we tested the effects of wtLLO and LLOY406A on healthy blood cells (PBMCs) and cancer blood cells (the myeloid leukemia cell line K562, the T lymphocyte cell line Jurkat, and the B lymphocyte cell line Raji). The results show that healthy blood cells are more resistant to treatment with wtLLO and LLOY406A than cancer cells. The greatest differences between healthy and cancer cells were observed when the cells were treated with LLOY406A at pH 6.5. Tumor tissue typically has an extracellular pH of 6.5 to 6.9 due to the extracellular acidosis of cancer cells. The half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of LLOY406A at pH 6.5 was 5.8 times higher in PBMC cells than in K562, 2.2 times higher than in Raji, and 31.9 times higher than in Jurkat cells. In addition, the LLOY406A mutant was significantly less toxic than wtLLO under physiological conditions, making it a potential candidate for stimulus-dependent applications and cancer treatment. The greatest difference in survival between cancer and healthy cells was achieved by treating cells with 100 nM LLOY406A at pH 6.5. According to our in vitro results, 100 nM LLOY406A is therefore the most promising concentration or starting concentration for the in vivo experiments for the treatment of blood cancers.
