Vampire bat venom evades the immune system

Scientists led by The University of Queensland’s (UQ’s) Associate Professor Bryan Fry have found that vampire bat venom contains molecules capable of evading the victim’s immune system. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Proteomics.

This is similar to the ability of snake venom to stay ahead of evolving resistance in prey - in this case, said Associate Professor Fry, “vampire bats are rapidly evolving their venom to prevent the immune system of the prey from generating antibodies against the venom molecules”.

Associate Professor Fry explained that vampire bats secrete multiple forms of the same active components, but with tiny changes scattered across the surface of the molecule. The research paper says this mutation of the surface chemistry could be due to “focal mutagenesis under the guidance of positive Darwinian selection”.

What it means, says Associate Professor Fry, is that “even if an antibody is generated against one molecule, there are a number of other ones that will sneak past the prey’s defence system and keep the blood flowing … This means the same victim can be fed on night after night.”

But the finding has positive implications too. The paper explains that the results “not only contribute to the body of knowledge regarding haematophagous venoms but also provide a rich resource for novel lead compounds for use in drug design and development.”

The drugs in question could be used to treat stroke and high blood pressure, according to Associate Professor Fry.