New York (New York, USA), May 3 (LaPresse/AP) – Tim Friede has been bitten hundreds of times by snakes, and now scientists are studying his blood in the hope of creating a better cure for venomous snake bites. Hoping to protect himself from snake bites and out of what he calls “simple curiosity,” Friede began injecting himself with small doses of snake venom, gradually increasing the amount to try to build up a tolerance. Then he started letting snakes bite him. “At first it was very scary,” he said, “but the more you do it, the better you get at it and the calmer you feel.” Although no doctor would ever suggest that this is a good idea, experts say his method follows how the body works. When the immune system is exposed to toxins in snake venom, it develops antibodies that can neutralize the venom. If it's a small amount of venom, the body can react before it's overwhelmed. And if it's a venom the body has encountered before, it can react more quickly and handle larger exposures.
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