WHEN truck driver Tim Friede from Wisconsin started self-administering snake venom via injection and [*wince*] actual snake bite, he hoped he could somehow contribute to the development of a universal antivenom.
Now, more than 20 years and 856 envenomations later, that moment has arrived.
His mission has helped create a cocktail of antibodies which have been used in combination with a drug to protect against snakebites from 19 different species, including Australia's eastern browns, inland taipans and tiger snakes.
"What was exciting about the donor was his once-in-a-lifetime unique immune history," said immunologist Jacob Glanville who came across Friede's unusual quest in the media and invited him to team up.
"Not only did he potentially create these broadly neutralising antibodies, in this case, it could give rise to a broad-spectrum or universal antivenom."
With the antivenom cocktail proving effective in mouse models, the team is now looking to test its efficacy out in the field, starting with providing the antivenom to dogs brought into veterinary clinics for snake bites in Australia.
With millions of snakebites occurring in the developing world each year, the team is also looking for philanthropic, government and pharma company funding to produce the antivenom on a large scale.
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