Zootherapy

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Recommended: Should animals be used for medical expermentation

The medicinal use of animals for the benefit of humans, zootherapy, dates all the way back to the medieval period. Many indigenous peoples around the world rely solely on the use of plants and animals for the healing and treatment of their people. These ancient uses of animals have often led to scientific research of the specific uses of animals and compounds developed from animals in modern medicine. The use of leeches is a well-know type of zootherapy that has recently been approved by the FDA. The venom of cone snails is also being studied and used in pain relief for people who suffer from cancer and other painful diseases. Also, there are studies being done on the ability of arctic mammals, such as the arctic ground squirrel, to survive in subzero temperatures during hibernation. Scientists are looking to incorporate this in organ transplants to prolong the life of organs outside the body, and in protecting the brain from ischaemia.

The carnivorous worm Hirudo medicinalis, commonly known as a leech, has recently been approved by the FDA as a medicinal device. In June, 2004 the FDA gave the French company Ricarimpex SAS a license to market leeches for medical use in the United States. Leeches are commonly used post-operatively in reconstructive surgery. It is difficult for ruptured veins to rejoin after surgery without any vessels to drain blood away. This can cause cells to die from oxygen deprivation. Leeches can eliminate this by sucking the pooled blood, which allows the body to re-establish the network of blood vessels (Pilcher 2004). There are also recent studies being done on the use of leeches in the treatment of osteoarthritis. This condition occurs when cartilage in the knee joint breaks down. This causes a great ...

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...the world. Eventually the use of cone snail venom may relieve many people of the pain they suffer as a result of cancer, arthritis, and other diseases. Leeches, a well known medicinal animal, will now be more widely used because of their approval by the FDA. Also, with more research, the arctic ground squirrel may lead scientists to the discovery of how to prolong the life of organs outside of the body before transplantation and to prevent tissue loss in stroke victims. With more and more research being done on medicinal uses of animals there may someday be a cure for many fatal and painful diseases.

Literature Cited

Bradbury, J. 2001. How hibernators might one day solve medical problems. Lancet. 358:

1164

Gibbs, W. 1996. A new way to spell relief: v-e-n-o-m. Scientific American. 274: 28.

Pilcher, H. 2004. Medicinal leeches: stuck on you. Nature.

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