龙虾血可以用于新的抗癌药物

龙虾血可以用于新的抗癌药物

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.

长期以来，缅因州的龙虾一直被游客们视为该州最受欢迎的海鲜。但是一家公司认为，这种甲壳类动物可以通过为新药提供血液来拯救人类的生命。

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.

这项研究涉及一位长期从事龙虾研究的科学家，它不会是第一个利用沿海无脊椎动物来帮助人类健康的例子。龙虾之所以被捕获，是因为它们的血液中含有一种用于检测医疗产品污染的蛋白质。2016年，缅因州的另一家初创公司宣布，它将开发一种绷带，上面覆盖一种从碾碎的龙虾壳中提取的物质。美军已经使用了由虾壳制成的凝血化合物处理过的战地绷带。

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.

致力于龙虾血液项目的公司——Orono的龙虾无限公司，正在研究龙虾血液是否可以用作对抗病毒和癌症的潜在武器。该公司的代表表示，结果是有希望的——美国专利和商标局在10月底向他们颁发了一项与他们工作相关的专利。

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.

公司负责人罗伯特·拜尔说，这种血液很容易获得，因为它是龙虾加工过程中的副产品。拜尔表示，龙虾血要在新药中发挥作用可能还有很长的路要走，但根据申请专利所需的研究，龙虾血“毫无疑问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.”

“现在，这些血被直接扔到地上，然后流入下水道。”缅因大学(University of Maine)动物与兽医科学荣誉退休教授拜尔(Bayer)说。“我们可以收集到数百万英镑，这使得它成为一个值得追求的可行产品。”

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.

该公司建议使用从龙虾循环液——血淋巴中提取的化合物来改善人类健康，并可能改善其他哺乳动物的健康。龙虾无限公司正在医药行业寻找合作伙伴，共同开发药物。