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Unknown to the masses, half a million horseshoe crabs are captured each year and bled alive to sustain unparalleled biomedical technology. Anyone who has received an injectable medication will have benefited from the blood of horseshoe crabs. The beautiful and stunning baby blue colored blood stands out as it relies on copper instead of iron, which is found in most other organisms, to deliver oxygen throughout the body.
Discovered in the 1960s by Dr. Frederik Bang, the blood of horseshoe crabs was found to have the ability to detect pathogens in its environment. The amoebocytes contained in the blood would surround the pathogens and immediately clot up; thus, preventing infections and the spread of pathogens throughout the body in an effective manner. The blood acts like a form of primal antibiotics, and is the main line of defense for the immunity of the horseshoe crabs. Keep in mind that horseshoe crabs reside in habitats that are filled with an assortment of pathogens. This has led them to develop a unique and distinct immune system.
Collaborating with Dr. Jack Levin, the two researchers took advantage of the unique properties found in the blood and concocted a cell-free reagent otherwise known as Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL). LAL would help solve an ancient problem that had been plaguing the medical industry for decades, and improve overall quality of care.
Previously, many injectable medication thought to be sterile would cause infections, and severe symptoms in patients. After thorough investigation, researchers found that the medication was riddled with endotoxins. Endotoxins are lipopolysaccharides derived from the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, and even trace amounts can result in unpleasant and negative side effects in the human body. Endotoxins cannot be removed even with steam sterilization, and are almost impossible to detect without the blood of horseshoe crabs. The Limulus amoebocyte lysate is used for detection purposes and plays a critical role in quality management of the medications that are approved for administration.
Highly trained professionals and licensed facilities are responsible for bleeding horseshoe crabs. Every year, horseshoe crabs are collected from their habitats, and brought to a specialized facility where they are cleaned and bled once a year. Only 30% of the blood will be removed, and the horseshoe crabs will be placed back into their natural habitat. The survival rate after these procedures remain relatively high at over 97% as the crabs are treated with the utmost of care. Horseshoe crabs that are released can easily integrate back into their society, and detailed follow-up researches have indicated that the crabs do not suffer from any post-traumatic stress, which may result in decreased reproductive ability.
Horseshoe crab blood has become the standard used for testing purposes, and the blood has become much more valuable than gold. In fact, a quart of horseshoe crab blood is estimated to have a value of $15000, and this part of the industry has become rather lucrative over the years.
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Literature Referenced:
The Horseshoe Crab. 2009. Medical Uses. Retrieved from: http://www.horseshoecrab.org/med/med.html
