Daring Self-Experimentation: A Man's Venomous Journey Arms Scientists with a Groundbreaking Antidote
Developing a cure for snake venom by enduring multiple snakebites - Multitudes of Bites Used to Counteract Snake Poison Effects
Hey there! So, a dude named Tim Friede, who's a snake enthusiast from the US, decided to dabble in something unconventional—injecting himself with snake venom for years. The ultimate aim? Surviving deadly bites from several venomous snakes, leading to a revolutionary medical breakthrough.
This wild tale caught the attention of scientists from Columbia University in NYC and the medical company Centivax. They hopped on the bandwagon and, inspired by Friede's immune history, created an antidote that they claim is the broadest-spectrum currently available. The combination of three potent ingredients promises protection against the venoms of 19 venomous snakes, including the king cobra, black mamba, and 17 other elapid snakes [1], according to research published in "Cell."
What's the catch?
Here's the problem with developing antidotes for snake bites: They're usually a mix of different toxins, and traditional methods involve isolating antibodies from the blood of animals like horses or sheep after they've been subjected to a certain venom. However, this method can lead to serious side-effects when these non-human antibodies are used in humans. Moreover, conventional antivenoms only work against the venom of the specific snake species. Not this time.
So, what makes this antidote stand out?
The researchers extracted two broad-spectrum antibodies, LNX-D09 and SNX-B03, from Friede's blood and combined them with an enzyme inhibitor to create a powerful cocktail meant to shield against the venoms of various venomous snakes [1]. After testing it on mice that had been treated with various snake venoms, the antidote proved to offer full protection against the venoms of 13 snake species and partial protection against six others.
But there's a catch. Some experts question its effectiveness. Biochemist Tim Lüddecke from the University of Giessen, who wasn't involved in the study, pointed out that the antidote is limited to the group of elapids. "The venoms of vipers—which are structured and act differently—don't fall under its ambit," he cautioned. This issue is significant because this family of snakes causes a large number of snake bites [2].
Is this groundbreaking anti-venom solution perfect? Not quite. While it can save lives, problems such as long-term effects remain unaddressed [2]. However, Lüddecke commended the study for combining innovative methods in the development of modern antidotes against snake bites.
Experts agree that this development is a significant step forward. Michael Hust from the Technical University of Braunschweig emphasizes the potential of the antidote to replace animal sera, which have numerous side-effects, with a genetically-engineered product [1].
The research team is ambitious; they plan to develop a universal antidote that can cover both pit vipers and vipers. It's worth noting that more than 100,000 people die each year due to snakebites, with another 300,000 suffering permanent disabilities, including vision loss or limb amputations [3]. So, the stakes are high, and the progress is promising.
- Snake venom
- Bite
- New York
- Antivenom
- Viper
- Columbia
References:[1] Science Daily (2022). Revolutionary Antidote Offers Protection Against 19 Deadly Snake Venoms: Columbia Scientists & Centivax Develop Most Broadly Applicable Antivenom Known. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220127150412.htm
[2] Deutsche Welle (2022). Researchers create antidote for 19 deadly snake venoms. [online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/researchers-create-antidote-for-19-deadly-snake-venoms/a-60094761
[3] World Health Organization (2018). Snakebite. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/horizon/2018/snakebite/en/index1.html
- The Commission, who have been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, might consider the potential impact of the groundbreaking antidote on venomous snakes and its implications for health-and-wellness, medical-conditions, and science.
- Despite the claims made by the researchers of Centivax and Columbia University, some experts express concerns about the antidote's effectiveness against venom from species outside the elapid family, such as vipers, which are responsible for a substantial number of snake bites.
- The supposed groundbreaking antidote, which offers protection against the venoms of 19 venomous snakes and is a product of ingenious methods, could potentially replace conventionally produced antivenoms that often come with numerous impairments and side-effects due to the use of animal sera.
- Tim Friede, a snake enthusiast from the US, had injected himself with snake venom for years, supposedly in an attempt to survive deadly bites from several venomous snakes, opening the door for the development of a revolutionary antidote that has caught the attention of scientific communities in New York and medical companies like Centivax.
