Blood of man who’s had 200 snake bites helps make a potent antivenom. A man who has endured over 200 venomous snake bites may be the key to ...
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| Blood of man who’s had 200 snake bites helps make a potent antivenom. |
The individual, often referred to as a “hyper-immune”, has voluntarily exposed himself to sub-lethal doses of venom from deadly snakes such as cobras, vipers, and rattlesnakes over decades. This self-immunization practice has allowed his body to produce a vast range of protective antibodies that neutralize toxic compounds in snake venom.
Leveraging this rare immunity, scientists have successfully extracted monoclonal antibodies from his blood to combine with traditional antivenom formulations. The resulting compound is showing promise in neutralizing venom faster and more safely across a wide spectrum of snake species, which could revolutionize how snakebites are treated globally.
The project is a collaboration between toxicologists from several institutions including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and teams from NIH, with ongoing animal testing underway to confirm efficacy. “His immune system is essentially a blueprint for universal antivenom,” said one of the lead researchers from the University of California, San Francisco. “He’s not just immune—he’s functionally immune to venoms that would be fatal to most people within minutes.”
While the treatment breakthrough is being hailed as a potential global lifesaver—particularly in areas like sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Southeast Asia—ethical questions remain. Bioethics experts warn against promoting self-immunization, noting that such practices could be misinterpreted and attempted without medical oversight. “It’s a fascinating but dangerous precedent,” said a bioethicist from NIH's Department of Bioethics. “We must ensure that the health risks endured by this individual do not become an example for amateur herpetologists.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 5.4 million snakebites occur each year, with more than 100,000 resulting in death and roughly 400,000 survivors left with permanent disabilities. Current antivenoms are region-specific and expensive to produce.
This new broad-spectrum solution, if approved, could dramatically lower costs and increase availability, particularly in low-income and rural regions where snakebite mortality remains high. Human clinical trials are expected to begin in early 2026. The research team hopes the new antivenom can be manufactured at scale with support from global health agencies, and potentially added to the WHO’s Essential Medicines List.
If successful, this innovation could be one of the most significant advances in snakebite treatment in over a century — driven by the antibodies of one remarkably resilient man.
