Antivenom source: He was bitten by snakes hundreds of times

Sometimes, medical breakthroughs can come from unexpected places.

- 

Tim Friede, a snake enthusiast in the United States, spent nearly two decades injecting himself with increasing doses of snake venom.

Eventually, he could survive bites from some of the world’s most dangerous snakes.

His unusual dedication has now helped pave the way for a potentially groundbreaking antivenom.

Building on Friede’s unique immune system, researchers at Columbia University and the biotech company Centivax in the US have developed what they describe as the broadest-acting snakebite treatment to date.

According to a study published in the journal Cell, the new therapy - made from a cocktail of three components - offers at least partial protection against the venom of the king cobra, black mamba and 17 other species of highly venomous snakes in the elapid family.

Multiple protection

One of the greatest challenges in developing snakebite treatments is the complexity of the venom itself.

Most snake venoms are a toxic cocktail of different molecules, each with distinct effects on the human body.

Traditional antivenoms are created by injecting venom into animals like horses or sheep, and then harvesting the antibodies they produce.