Repeated Snake Bites Leave Man's Blood Potentially Life-Saving
Self-styled venom expert Tim Friede has bitten by snakes over 800 times, sometimes intentionally. His blood is now being studied by scientists to potentially create a better treatment for snake bites.
Fascinated by reptiles and other venomous creatures, Friede used to extract venom from spiders and scorpions as a hobby, while keeping numerous snakes at his Wisconsin home. In an attempt to protect himself against snake bites and out of curiosity, Friede began injecting himself with small amounts of venom, gradually increasing the dosage to build up tolerance. Later, he let snakes bite him.
"At first, it was terrifying," Friede admitted. "But with practice, you become less afraid and more calm."
While no medical professional would recommend this approach, experts say Friede's method sheds light on the body's immune response. When the immune system encounters snake venom toxins, it develops antibodies that can neutralize the poison. When the exposure is small, the body can react before it's overwhelmed. Additionally, if the body has encountered venom before, it can react faster and tackle larger exposures.
For nearly two decades, Friede has survived snake bites and injections, and stores venom in his refrigerator. Videos on his YouTube channel show swollen fang marks on his arms from bites by black mamba, taipan, and water cobra.
"I wanted to get as close to death as possible without dying," he said.
Hoping to contribute to science, Friede reached out to researchers worldwide, asking them to study his tolerance. His efforts were significant, as every year, around 110,000 people die from snakebites. Creating antivenom is complex and costly. The process typically involves injecting large mammals like horses with venom to collect the antibodies they produce. These antivenoms are often only effective against specific snake species and can produce adverse reactions due to their nonhuman origins.
When Peter Kwong, a researcher from Columbia University, learned about Friede, he was intrigued. "This individual has remarkable antibodies. It's incredibly rare," Kwong said.
In a study published in the journal Cell this month, Kwong and collaborators used Friede's unique blood to identify two antibodies that neutralize venom from multiple snake species. They aim to develop a treatment offering broad protection. Although the research is in its infancy, the experimental antivenom showed promise against snakes like mambas and cobras. However, it's ineffective against vipers such as rattlesnakes.
"While promising, there's still much work to do," said Nicholas Casewell, a snakebite researcher at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Friede's journey has been marked by stumbles, including having to amputate part of his finger following a bad snake bite and hospital visits due to particularly venomous cobra bites. Now employed by Centivax, which is developing the treatment, Friede is hopeful that his 18-year journey could save lives from snakebites. But his advice to those encouraged to follow in his footsteps is straightforward: "Don't do it."
Researchers worldwide expressed curiosity over Tim Friede's unique immune response to venom, developed through injecting himself with it over the years. With numerous snake bites and storing venom in his refrigerator, Friede sparked scientific interest around the globe.
Peter Kwong, a researcher from Columbia University, was captivated by Friede's story and his body's production of rare antibodies that neutralize venom from various snake species. Recently, Kwong and collaborators published a study in Cell journal, using Friede's blood to develop an experimental antivenom offering broad protection against dangerous snakes like mambas and cobras.
Although the research is still in its infancy and faced challenges such as ineffectiveness against vipers like rattlesnakes, experts remain hopeful for potential advancements in medical-conditions related to chronic-diseases and health-and-wellness, including saving lives from snakebites.
Though intrigued by Friede's journey, snakebite researchers like Nicholas Casewell at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine remind the public that his methods are dangerous, as evident from his past hospital visits and finger amputation. Despite his stumbles, Friede continues working with Centivax, a fitness-and-exercise company interested in developing his potential antivenom treatment, looking to make a significant impact on the field of science.
However, despite the promising research, Friede strongly advises against anyone attempting to replicate his self-experimentation, as the risks outweigh any potential rewards, especially when professional medical-treatments and healthcare professionals are available.
