Translated with AI
Scientists have used the blood of a man who spent almost 18 years biting himself and injecting himself with deadly snake venom to create a broad-spectrum antidote, the BBC reports.
In 2017, immunologist Jacob Glenville, head of the biotech company Centivax, came across stories about an American named Tim Fried, who was trying to develop immunity to snake venom – and was exposing himself to bites from the deadly reptiles.
“I immediately thought that if anyone in the world had developed broad-spectrum antibodies, they would be the best candidate, so I contacted them,” says Glenville. “In our first conversation, I said, ‘This might sound weird, but I’d like to get some of your blood.’”
Friede agreed. “Finally, I’ve been waiting for this call!” Glanville recalls the man’s reaction.
The problem of antidote Venomous snake bites cause 140,000 deaths each year and more than 400,000 amputations and disabilities.
To create an antidote, a small dose of snake venom is injected into animals (such as horses). Their immune systems produce antibodies, which scientists then use to develop a therapy.
However, toxins vary from snake to snake, even within the same species. Antivenom based on the venom of snakes from India, for example, is less effective against the venom of the same species from Sri Lanka.
A team of researchers including Glenville began looking for so-called broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies that might provide more general protection against snakebites.
Because Friede had voluntarily and independently injected himself with snake venom, the researchers faced no ethical dilemmas: they simply had to collect the man's blood.
13 of the 19 Deadly Elapid Snakes The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Cell.
Scientists focused on one of two families of venomous snakes, the elapids. This family includes mambas, cobras, coral snakes, taipans, and kraits.
They selected 19 species that the World Health Organization ranks among the most deadly snakes on the planet.
In Friede's blood, the scientists identified two broad-spectrum antibodies that target two classes of neurotoxins. They added a substance that targets a third class and created an antidote.
The antidote was effective against 13 of the 19 snake species: laboratory mice that were injected with a lethal dose of the venom survived. The mice developed partial immunity against the remaining six species.
Glenville says nothing has ever offered such broad protection before, and he believes the antidote works against a large group of elapid snakes for which there is no known cure.
Scientists are continuing their research in hopes of identifying a fourth component and creating complete protection against elapid snake venom.
What about vipers? The second family of deadly poisonous snakes are vipers. If the venom of elapids primarily relies on neurotoxins, then the venom of vipers relies on hemotoxins. In total, there are about ten different classes of toxins in snake venom.
"I think within the next 10 to 15 years we will have effective treatments for all of these classes of toxins," says Professor Peter Kwon of Columbia University, who was involved in the study.
Scientists continue to analyze Tim Friede's blood.
"Tim's antibodies are truly extraordinary: He has trained his immune system to recognize a broad class of toxins," says Kwon.
Ultimately, the researchers hope to create either one universal antivenom or two – one for elapid snake bites and one for viper bites.
Nick Casewell, head of the Centre for Snake Bite Research and Treatment at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, believes the approach of the researchers led by Glenville is promising.
However, much work will still be needed before the antidote can be used in humans.
Tim Friede says that just reaching this stage makes him feel good. “I’m doing something good for humanity, and that’s really important to me. I’m proud of it. It’s cool,” he says.
American Tim Friede had been fascinated by snakes since childhood and decided that he needed to develop immunity to their venom. He began injecting himself with diluted snake venom from his home vivarium.
In 2001, on the same day, within an hour of each other, Friede was bitten by two of his pet snakes: first by an Egyptian cobra and then by a monocled cobra.
"I was basically lifeless. It wasn't fun. I had enough immunity for one bite, but not two," Friede told National Geographic of his experience.
The man spent four days in a coma, and after recovering from the bites, he realized that he had to either stop trying to develop immunity or improve it. Friede chose the latter option.
For 17 years and 9 months he followed his plan. During this time, Friede was bitten by snakes about 200 times, and he injected himself with snake venom about 500 more times.
“I wanted to take all the scariest snakes on the planet and fight them,” Friede recalled. He stopped pursuing his “hobby” in 2018.
Friede carefully documented his experience, including on a YouTube channel, which allowed scientists to later find him. A former auto mechanic, Friede now works as the director of herpetology (the study of snakes) at Glenville's company Centivax.
