龍蝦血可以用于新的抗癌藥物

龍蝦血可以用于新的抗癌藥物

Maine lobsters have long delighted tourists as the state’s most beloved seafood. But one company thinks the crustaceans can save human lives by providing their blood for use in new drugs.

長期以來，緬因州的龍蝦一直被游客們視為該州最受歡迎的海鮮。但是一家公司認(rèn)為，這種甲殼類動(dòng)物可以通過為新藥提供血液來拯救人類的生命。

The effort, involving a longtime lobster scientist, wouldn’t be the first example of coastal invertebrates being used to aid human health. Horseshoe crabs are harvested because their blood contains a protein used to detect contamination in medical products. A different startup company in Maine announced in 2016 that it would develop a bandage coated with a substance extracted from crushed lobster shells. And the US Army has made use of field bandages treated with a blood clotting compound processed from shrimp shells.

這項(xiàng)研究涉及一位長期從事龍蝦研究的科學(xué)家，它不會(huì)是第一個(gè)利用沿海無脊椎動(dòng)物來幫助人類健康的例子。龍蝦之所以被捕獲，是因?yàn)樗鼈兊难褐泻幸环N用于檢測醫(yī)療產(chǎn)品污染的蛋白質(zhì)。2016年，緬因州的另一家初創(chuàng)公司宣布，它將開發(fā)一種繃帶，上面覆蓋一種從碾碎的龍蝦殼中提取的物質(zhì)。美軍已經(jīng)使用了由蝦殼制成的凝血化合物處理過的戰(zhàn)地繃帶。

The company working on the lobster blood project, Lobster Unlimited of Orono, is investigating whether lobster blood can be used as a potential weapon against viruses and cancer. Representatives with the company said results are promising — the US Patent and Trademark Office issued them a patent in late October related to their work.

致力于龍蝦血液項(xiàng)目的公司——Orono的龍蝦無限公司，正在研究龍蝦血液是否可以用作對抗病毒和癌癥的潛在武器。該公司的代表表示，結(jié)果是有希望的——美國專利和商標(biāo)局在10月底向他們頒發(fā)了一項(xiàng)與他們工作相關(guān)的專利。

The blood is easy to come by because it’s a byproduct of lobster processing, company head Robert Bayer said. Lobster blood is likely a long way from playing a role in new drugs, Bayer said, but there’s “no question it has antiviral and anticancer properties” based on research needed to apply for the patent.

公司負(fù)責(zé)人羅伯特·拜爾說，這種血液很容易獲得，因?yàn)樗驱埼r加工過程中的副產(chǎn)品。拜爾表示，龍蝦血要在新藥中發(fā)揮作用可能還有很長的路要走，但根據(jù)申請專利所需的研究，龍蝦血“毫無疑問具有抗病毒和抗癌性”。

“Right now, this blood is literally thrown out on the floor and goes down the drain,” said Bayer, a professor emeritus of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Maine. “We can collect millions of pounds of it, which makes it a viable product worth pursuing.”

“現(xiàn)在，這些血被直接扔到地上，然后流入下水道。”緬因大學(xué)(University of Maine)動(dòng)物與獸醫(yī)科學(xué)榮譽(yù)退休教授拜爾(Bayer)說。“我們可以收集到數(shù)百萬英鎊，這使得它成為一個(gè)值得追求的可行產(chǎn)品。”

The company proposes to use compounds derived from hemolymph, which is lobster circulatory fluid, to improve human health and possibly the health of other mammals. Lobster Unlimited’s looking for partners in the pharmaceutical industry to work with on the development of drugs.

該公司建議使用從龍蝦循環(huán)液——血淋巴中提取的化合物來改善人類健康，并可能改善其他哺乳動(dòng)物的健康。龍蝦無限公司正在醫(yī)藥行業(yè)尋找合作伙伴，共同開發(fā)藥物。