Horseshoe crabs are living fossils and have been around for more than 300 million years already. So why are they suddenly of importance now?
Horseshoe crabs have played a crucial role in humankind ever since scientists first discovered their blood's value. The species' bright-colored blood has been aiding humans in discovering new medications.
In line with today's coronavirus pandemic, scientists now believe that the crabs can help researchers develop a potential coronavirus vaccine.
However, significant questions are hovering accompanying the idea of using horseshoe crabs for coronavirus research. How many of the species are still around? Will the process of "milking" them for their blood harm them?
Horseshoe Crab Blood Value: Is it That Important?
Scientifically speaking, yes, it is. Horseshoe crab blood ensures that there are no dangerous bacteria in newly created drugs. National Geographic says that the animals' milky-blue blood provides the only known natural source of limulus amebocyte lysate.
It is a substance that detects a contaminant called endotoxin, which is known to cause deadly effects if it finds its way into vaccines, injectable drugs, and other sterile pharmaceuticals.
A horseshoe crab's blood is the only thing humans can find, anywhere on earth, that is capable of doing this. That is, until 2016, when scientists came up with an alternative called recombinant Factor C (rFC), which was deemed safe to be used in Europe and eventually in the United States.
However, last month, American health authorities said the alternative wasn't proven to work well enough. Companies wanting to sell medication would need to keep using horseshoe crab blood for testing.
Furthermore, this means that any group or company wanting to come up with a plausible coronavirus vaccine would need to use crab's blood if they want to get their jab to millions of Americans in need of the vaccine.
Horseshoe Crab Blood Harvest: Is it Harmful to the Animals?
Every year, hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs are caught and taken to labs in America. In labs, their blood is extracted from a vein near their heart. After the harvesting process, they are then released back into the wild.
Experts initially believed that nearly all crabs survived the implausible donation. However, in recent years, some scientists have estimated that up to 30% of crabs die from the harvesting process.
Additionally, other studies have suggested that female crabs who undergo the "blood milking" process are likely to mate afterward. Wildlife campaigners call for the ban of horseshoe crab blood milking as they say it causes problems for the crabs.
According to Dr. Barbara Brummer, the State Director of The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey, about half a million horseshoe crabs are currently being bled.
She adds that nobody really knows what the impacts of forceful blood withdrawal have on that crab's life after they're released back into the wild.
Officials claim that American horseshoe crabs are now close to formally being considered as an endangered species. However, some big drug manufacturing companies claim that the numbers of the horseshoe crabs have remained practically the same for a few years now.
