The horseshoe crab, a fascinating “living fossil” existing before the dinosaurs plays a crucial role in safeguarding people’s health and has a surprising connection to modern medicine.
The horseshoe crabs are helmet-shaped arthropods that have a true value in their unique blood. Unlike human blood, horseshoe crab blood is copper-based and appears colorless to slightly yellow. However, it contains special cells called amebocytes that react in a very specific way by clotting when exposed to bacterial toxins.
This outstanding feature has made the animal’s blood a keystone in medical research. Since the 1970s, a test derived from their blood cells has become the gold standard for detecting endotoxins, harmful bacteria substances that can contaminate vaccines, intravenous drugs, and medical devices.
Ensuring the safety of these -saving products would be significantly more challenging without this test.
However, a matter of concern is that the horseshoe crab’s future is at risk. These creatures have been moved towards extinction due to overharvesting for the use as bait in the fishing industry, coupled with habitat loss due to coastal development.
This decline poses a significant problem for not only the health of the ecosystem, but also for the security of our medical advancements.
But, there is still hope as conservation efforts are underway to protect horseshoe crab populations. Researchers are also actively developing alternative testing methods that do not rely on these vital creatures.
