Medicine Hundreds of bites lead to a remedy for snake venom
A US-American snake enthusiast administered ever higher doses of snake venom to himself. Eventually he was able to be bitten by various venomous snakes. In doing so, he made an extraordinary medical development possible.
02.05.2025, 17:00
SDA
Building on this, scientists at Columbia University in New York and the medical company Centivax have developed an antivenom that they claim to be the most widely applicable drug available to date.
The preparation, which consists of three substances, should at least partially protect against the venoms of the king cobra, black mamba and 17 other venomous snakes (Elapidae), as the team reports in the specialist journal "Cell". A major problem in the development of antidotes against snakebites is that the venoms often consist of a cocktail of different toxins that have different effects. Normally, antivenoms are developed by administering the venom of individual snake species to horses or sheep, for example, and isolating the antibodies formed, the researchers write.
Donor allowed himself to be bitten by snakes for years
Although this procedure could be effective, it could also have serious side effects if the non-human antibodies were to be used in humans.
In addition, these so-called antivenoms are only effective against the venoms of the respective snake species. This is different in this case. "The exciting thing about the donor was his unique immune history," first author Jacob Glenville, also head of Centivax, is quoted as saying in a press release from the publisher Cell Press. Over a period of almost 18 years, Friede had been bitten hundreds of times by a total of 16 different, very venomous snakes. He survived - and is now employed by Centivax.
Agent tested on mice
The researchers isolated two particularly broad-acting antibodies from his blood - LNX-D09 and SNX-B03 - and combined them with an enzyme inhibitor to create an active substance that is designed to protect against several venoms from different venomous snakes. In the study, this cocktail was tested on mice that had previously been administered venoms from various venomous snakes. The drug offered complete protection against the venoms of 13 snake species - including the king cobra, the black mamba and the inland taipan, which is considered the world's most venomous snake.
The cocktail offered partial protection against six other species, including the green mamba. Further research needed The researchers admit that these successes in mice are not yet sufficient. The next step is to test the antivenom in veterinary clinics on dogs that have been bitten by snakes.
Biochemist Tim Lüddecke from the University of Giessen, who was not involved in the study, sees a further limitation in the fact that the effect is limited to the group of venomous snakes: "The venoms of vipers, which have a completely different effect and are structured differently, are not addressed." This has important consequences in terms of application, as this group of snakes (Viperidae) causes the majority of snake bites.
Prevention of late effects unclear
Lüddecke also criticizes the fact that the study only focuses on the life-saving effect of the antivenom. In addition, there are often lifelong physical restrictions caused by snake venom. Nevertheless, the expert praises the fact that the study combines the most promising approaches in the development of modern active substances against snake bites.
The team itself is pursuing the long-term goal of developing one or more universal agents that cover both venomous snakes and vipers. According to the research team, more than 100,000 people die every year from poisoning by snakebites, and 300,000 more suffer permanent disabilities. These include loss of sight or amputations of limbs.
