The Man Who Defied Death for a Universal Cure

A man named Tim Friede has a unique claim to fame. He has injected himself with snake venom 856 times over 18 years. This might sound crazy, but it has led to a big breakthrough in medicine. Friede's blood could hold the key to a universal antivenom. Friede's journey started when he was young, collecting pet snakes. He began injecting himself with diluted snake venom from his pets. Things took a dark turn when he was bitten by two cobras in quick succession. The venom nearly killed him. Most people would have stopped after that, but not Friede. He saw it as a sign to keep going. Over the years, Friede's body faced a lot of venom. He was bitten by some of the world's deadliest snakes, including Egyptian cobras, water cobras, coastal taipans, Mojave rattlesnakes, and even black mambas. He documented his experiences on YouTube, showing the world his dangerous hobby. His videos caught the attention of Jacob Glanville, an immunologist. Glanville saw the potential in Friede's unique antibodies. These antibodies are what protect the body from harmful substances like venom. Using Friede's antibodies, Glanville and his team created an antivenom that can protect against the venom of 19 different snake species. This is a big deal because most antivenoms only work on one type of snake. The antivenom created from Friede's blood has two main types of antibodies. One type, when combined with a drug called varespladib, can protect against six snake species. The other type offers at least partial protection against all 19 species tested. The goal is to create a universal antivenom. This would be a single treatment that could save anyone from any snake bite. The team has made progress with one family of snakes, the elapids. They hope to do the same for another family, the viperids. Before this antivenom can be used on humans, it needs to go through rigorous testing. In the meantime, the researchers plan to test it on dogs in Australia. This could be a game-changer for snake bite victims around the world.