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MODELS
FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
With
each biodiversity resource lost, our options for the future are a bit
more limited. Losing the bounty and variety of nature’s plants
and animals means the loss of valuable medical resources, such as medical
research models.
Animals
in their natural environments may serve as research models for human
health:
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Hibernating
bears do not lose bone mass and do not urinate for months. Studying
bears may yield treatments for kidney failure and osteoporosis.
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Sharks
rarely develop cancer. Evidence suggests a substance in sharks may
inhibit tumor growth by constricting neighboring blood vessels.
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A
sea squirt is the only creature besides humans to develop kidney stones
naturally in its analogous organs. This may help scientists understand
how kidney stones and gout develop in humans.
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Besides
humans, only armadillos contract leprosy. Studying these creatures
can help treat or prevent the kinds of infections that most commonly
attack immunocompromised patients.
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