US man Tim Friede gave himself over 200 snake bites during 18 years, leading scientists to find special antibodies in his blood. These antibodies work against many deadly snake types, unlike current treatments that need to match each specific snake. Researchers used his blood to make a mix that protected mice from 13 of 19 deadly snake species tested, with partial protection for the rest.
Snake bites kill about 140,000 people yearly, and many more lose limbs. Friede started his dangerous project, hoping to help people far away who die from snake bites. He ended up working with Dr. Jacob Glanville from Centivax, who spotted the rare protective elements in his blood. The team focused on snakes like cobras, mambas, and kraits that use venom to attack nerves.
Scientists plan to improve their mixture to cover more snake families. They hope future treatments might need just one or two shots instead of matching each snake exactly. Professor Nick Casewell called the work exciting but cautioned that more testing lies ahead before using it with people. Friede feels proud about possibly helping humanity through his risky self-experiments.
Snake bites kill about 140,000 people yearly, and many more lose limbs. Friede started his dangerous project, hoping to help people far away who die from snake bites. He ended up working with Dr. Jacob Glanville from Centivax, who spotted the rare protective elements in his blood. The team focused on snakes like cobras, mambas, and kraits that use venom to attack nerves.
Scientists plan to improve their mixture to cover more snake families. They hope future treatments might need just one or two shots instead of matching each snake exactly. Professor Nick Casewell called the work exciting but cautioned that more testing lies ahead before using it with people. Friede feels proud about possibly helping humanity through his risky self-experiments.
