3 ms·

We used to get Insulin for diabetics from the pancreases of polar bears. A cruel practice that is no longer necessary with advances in bio technology. I believe

We used to get Insulin for diabetics from the pancreases of polar bears. A cruel practice that is no longer necessary with advances in bio technology. I believe we can learn to replicate the beneficial properties of Horseshoe crab blood artificially as well. Edit: Well it seems we already can. So why does the US continue torturing these animals?

Scoundreller 2y ago
> We used to get Insulin for diabetics from the pancreases of polar bears. I think you mean pigs and cows? I don’t think there was much otherwise being done with the pancreases from the slaughterhouse other than making cat/dog food.
- nuc1e0n 2y ago
  Them too. At least there are should be strong rules about the welfare of farm animals and minimising their suffering during slaughter. I hope for improvements in synthetic meat as well and think cell cultures could help with that. I can't live without a lot of tasty protein. But those Horseshoe crabs are kept alive and bleeding constantly.
gehwartzen 2y ago
It seems it’s due to the synthetic not being fully recognized for equivalency in the US pharmacopia per this article: https://www.npr.org/2023/09/23/1200620535/vaccines-are-still-tested-with-horseshoe-crab-blood-the-industry-is-finally-chan#:~:text=The%20blue%20blood%20of%20the,LAL%2C%20was%20invented%20decades%20ago https://www.npr.org/2023/09/23/1200620535/vaccines-are-still.... “ The blue blood of the horseshoe crab clots when it comes into contact with bacterial toxins, which helps technicians identify contaminated products. A synthetic alternative to the blood-derived testing ingredient, called limulus amoebocyte lysate, or LAL, was invented decades ago. Alternatives have since become mainstream; most of the east coast bleeding companies now also sell tests made with a synthetic, not just LAL, and the European Pharmacopoeia considered the synthetic ingredient equivalent to the crab-derived one in 2020. But since scientists at the U. S. Pharmacopeia had not yet done the same, drug companies that wanted to use them faced extra regulatory hurdles in the U.S.”
- nuc1e0n 2y ago
  So the reason is regulatory inertia? That's a lame excuse for animal cruelty.

Scoundreller 2y ago

> We used to get Insulin for diabetics from the pancreases of polar bears. I think you mean pigs and cows? I don’t think there was much otherwise being done with the pancreases from the slaughterhouse other than making cat/dog food.

nuc1e0n 2y ago
Them too. At least there are should be strong rules about the welfare of farm animals and minimising their suffering during slaughter. I hope for improvements in synthetic meat as well and think cell cultures could help with that. I can't live without a lot of tasty protein. But those Horseshoe crabs are kept alive and bleeding constantly.

gehwartzen 2y ago

It seems it’s due to the synthetic not being fully recognized for equivalency in the US pharmacopia per this article: https://www.npr.org/2023/09/23/1200620535/vaccines-are-still-tested-with-horseshoe-crab-blood-the-industry-is-finally-chan#:~:text=The%20blue%20blood%20of%20the,LAL%2C%20was%20invented%20decades%20ago https://www.npr.org/2023/09/23/1200620535/vaccines-are-still.... “ The blue blood of the horseshoe crab clots when it comes into contact with bacterial toxins, which helps technicians identify contaminated products. A synthetic alternative to the blood-derived testing ingredient, called limulus amoebocyte lysate, or LAL, was invented decades ago. Alternatives have since become mainstream; most of the east coast bleeding companies now also sell tests made with a synthetic, not just LAL, and the European Pharmacopoeia considered the synthetic ingredient equivalent to the crab-derived one in 2020. But since scientists at the U. S. Pharmacopeia had not yet done the same, drug companies that wanted to use them faced extra regulatory hurdles in the U.S.”

nuc1e0n 2y ago
So the reason is regulatory inertia? That's a lame excuse for animal cruelty.