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Representative Image: An American Man Subjected Himself to Snakebites and Venom
Representative image. An American man named Timothy Friede has subjected himself to more than 200 snakebites and 700 injections of venom over 18 years. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Mithridatism: A Historical Practice
For millennia, stories have circulated about people who tried to make themselves immune to poison by regularly ingesting small, non-lethal doses of it. This practice is called mithridatism, named after the Pontic king Mithridates VI (135-63 BC), who reputedly immunised himself to various poisons this way.
Modern Medicine: A Safer Alternative
Mithridatism is no longer practised today because scientists have developed safer, surer ways to protect the body against many toxins. A famous example is vaccines, which work by exposing the body to, say, a weakened virus so that the immune system learns to fight a non-weakened virus.
Timothy Friede’s Journey
On May 2, US researchers published a paper in Cell reporting that an American man named Timothy Friede had subjected himself to more than 200 snakebites and 700 injections of venom over 18 years to immunise himself against their deadly effects. Injuries and deaths due to snakebites are hard to prevent, especially in India, because they usually occur in areas with poor access to antivenoms and because each snake’s venom requires a specific set of antibodies to fight.
Breakthrough in Venom Research
Fortuitously, the researchers found that a combination of antibodies in Mr. Friede’s blood and a drug called varespladib could shield mice against 13 kinds of venom and partially defend against six more. This is a step towards the long-sought broadly neutralising antibodies — drugs that can defend people against most, if not all, venoms.
Published on May 3, 2025, 7:00 pm IST
This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for venomous bites and stings, potentially saving lives in regions where access to antivenoms is limited.
Reference : https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/blood-of-man-bitten-by-hundreds-of-snakes-leads-to-strong-anti-venom/article69534744.ece
