Research and Innovation: Innovation in bee accidents: from the proof of concept to the development of a diagnostic kit of the accident's damage
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Innovation in bee accidents: from the proof of concept to the development of a diagnostic kit of the accident's damage

Abstract

In recent decades, the expansion of Africanized bees (Apis mellifera) in Brazil and in American continent has led public health authorities to include the apilic accident as an object of health surveillance. Since the advent of hybridization and the emergence of Africanized bees at Brazil in 1954, reports of severe bee accidents have been recorded across the American continent. In addition to allergic processes, which range from mild to severe, multiple stings are usually associated with severe envenomation. The growing number of clinical cases and deaths has aroused the need for effective treatment and diagnostic alternatives. The treatment currently used is based on reducing symptoms with antihistamines, adrenaline and glucocorticoids; on the other hand, there is an antivenom in the testing phase, the apillic antivenom produced by researchers from the Venom and Venomous Animals Study Center (CEVAP/UNESP) and the Vital Brazil Institute (IVB). However, there is still a challenge to be dealt with in the scope of diagnosing the damage of the accident by multiple bee stings: what is the amount of drugs/antivenom to be administered to each patient if the amount of venom circulating in the victim's organism is not known? Currently, the procedure for counting the stings present on the victim's body together with observations of the clinical manifestations by the medical team, are the only sources of information to assess the degree of envenomation. However, in addition to this time-consuming process, it is known that the amount of venom injected by each bee can be different and some stings can be "empty" - without the introduction of bee venom. From previous experience in the Phase I/II clinical trial using the new antiapilic antivenom produced by CEVAP and IVB, it was possible to observe that the number of stings is a diagnostic measure of the aggravation of apilic envenomation. In view of this challenge, this proposal for research and development PIPE FAPESP Fase I consists of developing an unprecedented diagnostic kit that classifies the severity of the apilic accident in order to assist medical conduct, thus avoiding treatment with excess or lack of drugs/antivenom, reduction in the length of hospital stay/occupation of Intensive Treatment Unit beds and, reduction of possible sequelae and deaths. At the end of this proposal, it is expected that the results obtained will provide technical and scientific data regarding the sensitivity and specificity thresholds of the proposed kit, promoting the development of an effective and efficient device to indicate the aggravation of apilic accidents. This diagnostic device is unprecedented in the world market, low cost and easy to use by analysts of clinical laboratories that support health units and it will have low cost. Bearing in mind that the technology that will be developed can be transferred internationally, this proposal has a positive financial impact in the face of the data on notifications of accidents by bees in the American continent annually. (AU)

Articles published in Agência FAPESP Newsletter about the research grant:
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VEICULO: TITULO (DATA)
VEICULO: TITULO (DATA)

Scientific publications
(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)
BARBOSA, ALEXANDRE NAIME; FERREIRA, JR., RUI SEABRA; DE CARVALHO, FRANCILENE CAPEL TAVARES; SCHUELTER-TREVISOL, FABIANA; MENDES, MONICA BANNWART; MENDONCA, BRUNA CAVECCI; BATISTA, JOSE NIXON; TREVISOL, DAISSON JOSE; BOYER, LESLIE; CHIPPAUX, JEAN-PHILIPPE; et al. Single-Arm, Multicenter Phase I/II Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Envenomings by Massive Africanized Honey Bee Stings Using the Unique Apilic Antivenom. FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY, v. 12, . (20/16747-1, 20/09819-6)

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