Boldly Going Where (Most) Shouldn't: Tim Friede's Venomous Voyage
Repeated Bites by Snakes on Individual Lead to Potential Development of Enhanced Antivenom Therapy
Tim Friede, a Wisconsin-based reptile fanatic with a penchant for the unorthodox, has willingly suffered hordes of snakebites and intentional venom injections for nearly two decades. His self-created immunity to snake toxins could revolutionize the treatment for snakebites, even though his methods would make any doctor or EMT cringe.
Friede's fascination with reptiles stretched beyond simple observance. He dabbled in milking scorpions and spiders for their venom as a pastime, maintaining a veritable zoo of snakes at his humble abode. Desiring to thwart snake bites—and piqued by what he calls "plain old curiosity"—he began self-injecting minuscule amounts of snake venom, gradually increasing the dosage to cultivate tolerance. Eventually, he allowed snakes to bite him.
Though the initial encounters were a heart-stopping affair, Friede reported that with each experience, he became more composed and less apprehensive. "It was scary at first," he admitted, "but the more you do it, the more at ease you become."
Curiously enough, Friede's self-induced exposure to snake toxins mirrors the body's natural immune response. When the immune system encounters venom toxins, it produces antibodies designed to neutralize the poison. If the venom amount is manageable, the immune system can respond swiftly and effectively before becoming overwhelmed. Moreover, if the immune system is familiar with the venom, it can react even more quickly and adapt to larger exposures.
Friede's arsenal of venom and notorious YouTube channel featuring the gruesome evidence of his encounters with deadly serpents—black mambas, taipans, and water cobras—leave no doubt about his prolonged bravado. He stated, "I wanted to walk the line as close to death as possible, teetering right there and then backing off of it."
Despite the alarming nature of Friede's appetite for serpentine danger, his persistence piqued the interest of snakebite research pioneer Peter Kwong at Columbia University. "This is really unusual. We have a very special individual with amazing antibodies that he created over 18 years," said Kwong upon learning of Friede's case.
In collaboration with researchers from other institutions, Kwong and his team managed to isolate two of Friede's antibodies that effectively neutralize venom from multiple snake species. Their aspirations involve developing a treatment that could provide broad protection, a monumental step towards a universal antivenom.
However, this research is far from realizing its full potential. The experimental treatment has only been tested in mice, and researchers are still years away from conducting human trials. Additionally, while the promising treatment shows promise against a group that includes mambas and cobras, it proves ineffective against vipers, such as rattlesnakes.
Dr. Nicholas Casewell, a snakebite researcher at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, offered a measured take on the findings: "Despite the promise, there is much work to do."
Friede's transformation into a human Guinness World Record antivenom experiment has not been without blemishes. Unfortunately, one bad snake bite left him needing to amputate part of his finger, and a series of particularly ugly cobra bites required hospitalization.
Friede now works for Centivax, a company focused on developing the treatment and helped finance the study. With his ambitious vision for saving lives through snakebite treatments, he offers a cautionary message to those inspired to follow in his footsteps: "Don't do it."
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