American blood being analyzed for potential medical applications

Venom Man's Tale: A Stepping Stone for Universal Antidote Development

Meet Tim Friede, a remarkable Wisconsin resident who's no stranger to venomous creatures, having been bitten by snakes hundreds of times, intentionally! These bites have been the focus of scientific interest, with researchers hoping to develop a more effective treatment for snake bites using his unique blood.

Over the years, Tim has been infatuated with reptiles and other venomous beasts. In his spare time, he extracts venom from spiders and scorpions, and keeps dozens of snakes at home. He began injecting himself with small amounts of venom to protect himself from bites and out of sheer curiosity, gradually increasing the dosage to build up tolerance.

"At first, it was petrifying," he recalls, "but over time, you learn to handle it. You become more tranquil."

Medical professionals wouldn't endorse such practices, yet they acknowledge this process aligns with the body's natural functioning. When the immune system encounters small amounts of venom, it can produce antibodies capable of counteracting toxins. Faced with the same venom again, the immune system responds more swiftly and can withstand more significant exposures.

Tim's home is packed with vials of venom, and his YouTube channel features images of his scarred arms, swollen from snake bites. He longed to push boundaries, skirt death, and recover.

Tim also dreamt of contributing to research. He reached out to scientists worldwide, offering them the chance to analyze his exceptional venom tolerance.

Approximately 110,000 people die annually due to snake bites, according to the World Health Organization. Crafting an antivenom is expensive and intricate. It's traditionally made by injecting venom into large mammals like horses and collecting the resulting antibodies. These treatments are often species-specific and can cause unwanted reactions due to their animal origins.

When Peter Kwong, a researcher at Columbia University, learned about Tim, he was intrigued: "Wow! That's really extraordinary! Here we had an exceptional individual with antibodies he's been producing for 18 years."

In a study published recently in the journal Cell, Kwong and his team revealed they identified two antibodies in Tim's blood that can neutralize the poison of various snake species. Their goal is to create a treatment offering broad protection.

Yet, this work is still in its infancy. The antivenom prototype has only been tested on mice, and human trials are still a ways off. While it seems effective against snakes like mambas and cobras, it doesn't yet work on vipers like rattlesnakes.

"Despite the encouraging results, there's still a long road ahead," stresses Nicholas Casewell, a snakebite researcher at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who didn't participate in the study, via email.

Tim's journey hasn't been without consequences. Severe bites led to the amputation of a finger, while others hospitalized him. Today, he works for Centivax, the company developing this experimental treatment. He continues to harbor hope that his 18-year voyage might one day save lives. Yet, his message remains clear: "Don't emulate this approach."

Tim Friede, who has been injecting himself with small amounts of venom for 18 years to build up tolerance, longed to contribute to medical-conditions related to venom research.
In a recent study published in the journal Cell, researchers identified two antibodies in Tim's blood that can neutralize the poison of various snake species, aiming to create a treatment offering broad protection against snake bites.
Nearly 110,000 people die annually due to snake bites, and crafting an antivenom is expensive and intricate, often causing unwanted reactions due to its animal origins.
The antivenom prototype, inspired by Tim's venom tolerance, has only been tested on mice, with human trials still a ways off.