Blood of horseshoe crab used in vaccine development

Did you know that one of the most important materials for vaccine development are from a so-called living fossil?

The blood of horseshoe crabs, which has lived on Earth much earlier than the dinosaurs, contains an enzyme that identifies endotoxins or bacterial components.

This property is used to test the safety of vaccines, medicines, and implants, among others.

"We now have a whole new wave of vaccines being produced and developed for the battle against COVID-19 and they're being tested on the same test made from the horseshoe crab blood," said Glenn Gauvry of the Ecological Research and Development Group.

Due to overharvesting, however, the population of horseshoe crabs is now dwindling and it has been listed as as protected species.

Researchers and pharmaceutical companies are pursuing alternatives for horseshoe crab blood in vaccine and medicine development.

—MGP, GMA News