Blood of a man bitten by snakes over 200 times becomes basis for universal antivenom
For almost two decades, American Tim Friede deliberately introduced the venom of the planet's most dangerous snakes into his body and survived over two hundred bites. The experiments almost cost him his life, but now his blood has helped scientists create an antivenom capable of protecting against bites from many snake species simultaneously.
Tim Friede. Video screenshot: Associated Press / YouTube
Today's antivenoms have a serious limitation: they usually only work against a specific snake species. If a person is bitten by a different snake, or even the same species from a different region, the effectiveness of the treatment can be significantly lower. This is a major problem for countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where up to 140,000 people die from snakebites annually, and hundreds of thousands more are left disabled or lose limbs.
As reported by BBC, American Tim Friede began his experiments 18 years ago, not for science.
The former truck mechanic was fascinated by snakes and wanted to develop his own immunity to work with them safely. He independently prepared small doses of venom and gradually injected them into himself. Over time, he began documenting his experiences on YouTube.
Friede endured over 200 bites and over 700 venom injections. Among the snakes whose venoms he prepared mixtures from were mambas, cobras, kraits, and taipans — some of the most dangerous reptiles in the world.
Scientific Pursuit
Today, antivenom is produced by injecting small doses of snake venom into animals, such as horses. Their immune system fights the toxins by producing antibodies, which are then used for therapeutic purposes. But the problem is that the venom of different snakes varies greatly. Even the venom of the same species can have different compositions depending on the region.
In this video, created 13 years ago, Tim Friede shows two cases of taipan bites — one of the most venomous snakes in the world.
That is why scientists have long been searching for so-called "broad-spectrum antibodies". Unlike ordinary antibodies, they target not the unique features of a specific toxin, but common sections characteristic of entire classes of toxins.
Jacob Glanville, head of the biotechnology company Centivax, believes that the meeting with Tim Friede was a key moment in the research. According to him, he immediately thought that a person who had been injecting himself with the venom of various snakes for years might have developed a unique immune response.
Researchers took blood samples from Friede and began studying the antibodies. The project received ethical approval, as the man was no longer being injected with venom — scientists were only analyzing the defense mechanisms that had already formed in his body.
According to the authors of an article in the scientific journal Cell, the main focus of the study was on elapids (Elapidae) — one of the two main families of venomous snakes, which include coral snakes, mambas, cobras, taipans, and kraits. Their venom primarily contains neurotoxins, which paralyze the muscles necessary for breathing.
Researchers selected 19 elapid species, which the World Health Organization classifies as the most dangerous snakes on the planet. They then began analyzing Friede's blood in search of protective mechanisms.
As a result, scientists discovered two types of broad-acting antibodies that target two large groups of neurotoxins. They added another drug that blocks a third group of toxins and created an experimental antivenom "cocktail".
During tests on mice, this agent allowed the animals to survive after lethal doses of venom from 13 out of 19 studied snake species. Partial protection was observed against six other species.
Researchers call this result unprecedented. According to them, this new approach could pave the way for creating a truly universal antivenom, which currently does not exist.
Scientists are now trying to refine the formula and are checking if a fourth component can be added to ensure complete protection against all elapids.
Future of Research
In parallel, researchers are also working with other snake families. For example, vipers primarily use hemotoxins, which damage blood and tissues, rather than the nervous system. In total, about a dozen main classes of toxins are identified in snake venom.
Therefore, the study of Friede's blood samples continues. Scientists note that his antibodies are truly unique: the American's immune system has learned to recognize various toxins very broadly.
In the future, scientists hope to create either a single universal antivenom or at least two broad-spectrum drugs — one for elapids and one for vipers.
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