Snake Bite Survivor's Unique Blood: The Next Step in Antivenom Development?
Man, bitten by multiple venomous snakes, contributes to the development of improved antidotes for snakebites
In an astonishing turn of events, the blood of snake enthusiast Tim Friede is being studied by scientists in a bid to create a better treatment for snake bites. Why, you ask? Because good ol' Tim has been intentionally bitten by snakes hundreds of times, all in the name of, well, let's call it "curiosity."
With a lifelong fascination for reptiles and other venomous critters, Friede used to dabble in milking the venom of scorpions and spiders as a hobby. His Wisconsin home housed no shortage of serpents. In order to protect himself from snake bites and, honestly, because he's just a tad bit nuts, he started injecting himself with small doses of snake venom. Then, he gradually increased the dosage in a bid to build up tolerance.
"At first, it was terrifying," Friede confessed. "But the more you do it, the better you become, the calmer you get with it."
Sounds about right.
Experts suggest that Friede's method mirrors how the immune system works. When exposed to toxins in snake venom, the body produces antibodies that can neutralize the poison. If the venom dose is small enough, the body can react before being overwhelmed. Particularly if the venom is something the body has encountered before, it can respond more swiftly to larger exposures.
Friede has been subjecting himself to snakebites and injections for nearly two decades, and his refrigerator remains brimming with venom. Videos on his YouTube channel showcase his battle scars - swollen fang marks from black mamba, taipan, and water cobra bites.
"I wanted to push the limits as close to death as possible, just teetering right there and then back off of it," he declared.
Despite his daredevil antics, Friede yearned to help. He reached out to every scientist he could find, imploring them to examine the tolerance he had cultivated. Approximately 110,000 people die annually from snakebites according to the World Health Organization. The process for creating antivenom is expensive and challenging, often involving the injection of venom into large mammals like horses to collect antibodies. These antidotes are usually species-specific and can trigger adverse reactions due to their non-human origins.
Columbia University medical sciences professor Peter Kwong was intrigued. "This guy is incredibly unique with extraordinary antibodies he developed over 18 years," Kwong observed.
A study recently published in the journal Cell highlights the progress made by Kwong and his collaborators. Using Friede's distinctive blood, they identified two antibodies capable of neutralizing venom from numerous snake species. The aim is to eventually develop a treatment offering broad protection.
The antivenom has only been tested on mice thus far and human trials remain years away. It shows promise against snakes such as mambas and cobras but is not effective against vipers like rattlers.
"There's a long way to go," noted snakebite researcher Nicholas Casewell.
Friede's adventure hasn't been without its pitfalls. After a particularly nasty snake bite, he was forced to amputate part of his finger. Cobra bites sent him to the hospital on more than one occasion. Friede is currently employed by Centivax, a company working on the treatment and which helped fund the study.
Friede is overjoyed at the prospect that his 18-year rollercoaster ride could one day save lives from snakebites. However, his advice to those entranced by his tale? "Don't follow in my footsteps." Honestly, we couldn't agree more.
Source Insights:
- Broad-spectrum antivenom: Researchers hoping to develop a treatment effective against multiple snake species using Friede's antibodies. Current antivenom is only effective against specific snake species and can trigger adverse reactions due to its non-human origins.
- Limited coverage but promising progress: The experimental antivenom derived from Friede's blood demonstrates protection against venom in mice and targets three critical toxin families out of approximately 10 key families across venomous snakes. The treatment is effective against certain snake species but is not universal.
- Expanding the antibody library: Friede’s blood contains billions of antibodies that researchers can mine to expand the cocktail’s targets, potentially improving its breadth.
- Safety concerns: Friede’s extreme self-immunization is not recommended by researchers, who stress that safer methods (e.g., synthetic antibodies, AI-designed proteins) are being explored alongside his antibodies.
- Universality: Achieving a universally effective antivenom will require broader toxin targeting and further clinical validation.
- Researchers are hypothesizing that the unique antibodies in Tim Friede's blood, developed from years of intentional snakebites, could be the key to creating a broad-spectrum antivenom.
- The potential antivenom, currently in its experimental phase, has shown promise in neutralizing venom from various snake species in mice, targeting three critical toxin families.
- The scientists are actively mining Friede's antibody library to potentially expand the treatment's targets and improve its breadth.
- Despite the promising progress, safety concerns remain, with researchers emphasizing the importance of exploring safer methods, like synthetic antibodies and AI-designed proteins, alongside Friede's antibodies.
