Share this @internewscast.com
A man who willingly injected himself with snake venom 856 times over the course of 18 years has been the key inspiration behind a new drug that offers protection against bites from 19 different snake species. This includes some of Australia’s most dangerous snakes such as the eastern brown snake, inland taipan, and tiger snake.
Tim Friede, who calls himself a snake venom expert and hails from Wisconsin in the United States, began his journey with venomous snakes around the year 2000. His practice involved gradually injecting himself with increasing amounts of diluted snake venom to build up his immunity.
However, over many years and hundreds of injections, Friede slowly generated antibodies in his body which could neutralise a range of snake venoms.
Stumbling upon Friede’s work online, scientists realised his potential.
“The donor, for almost 18 years, went through hundreds of bites and performed self-immunizations with increasing doses from 16 highly venomous snake species that could normally kill a horse,” explained Jacob Glanville, the first author and CEO of Centivax.
After Friede agreed to participate in a study, researchers found that by exposing himself to the venom of various snakes over several years, he had generated antibodies that were effective against several snake neurotoxins at once.
“What was exciting about the donor was his once-in-a-lifetime unique immune history,” Glanville said. “Not only did he potentially create these broadly neutralising antibodies, in this case, it could give rise to a broad-spectrum or universal antivenom.”
Scientists created a testing panel of 19 of the world’s most venomous snakes, which belong to the elapid family.
Researchers then isolated target antibodies from Friede’s blood that reacted with neurotoxins found within the snake species tested.Â
The resulting antivenom offered an unparalleled breadth of full protection for 13 of the 19 species and partial protection for the remaining six, Glanville said.
The team is now preparing to test its antivenom cocktail in Australia, by providing the drug to dogs brought into veterinary clinics for snake bites.Â
The team is also investigating the development of an antivenom targeting the other major snake family, the vipers.
“The final contemplated product would be a single, pan-antivenom cocktail or we potentially would make two: one that is for the elapids and another that is for the viperids because some areas of the world only have one or the other,” lead author Peter Kwong, professor of medical sciences at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said.
