Posted on 01/20/2010 9:58:46 AM PST by smokingfrog
Rabbits could be milked on a mass scale if a pioneering medical treatment gets the go-ahead.
The animals have been genetically engineered to produce C1 inhibitor, a protein that occurs naturally in the human body, according to National Geographic.
People who suffer from the genetic disorder hereditary angioedema (HAE) do not produce enough of the protein and suffer from attacks of painful swelling in their soft tissues.
They can even die from asphyxiation if the swelling affects their throat.
Although the protein can be harvested from donor blood, stocks are limited and can carry the risk of a viral infection, according to biotech company Pharming, which is behind the project.
Rhucin, its treatment derived from the rabbit milk, has undergone trials and is now awaiting approval from European drug regulators.
If the drug is approved, the Netherlands-based company is said to be ready to milk a herd of 1,000 rabbits using mini-pumping machines attached to their teats.
Researchers would then extract the protein in a lab.
Pharming says one benefit Rhucin offers is that it "does not carry the risk of transmission of human infectious agents, as it is not isolated from human blood sources".
But the RSPCA said it was concerned over "this use of animals to produce human medicines".
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
At first I thought the headline said ‘Rabbis Milked To Treat Genetic Disease’.
Eye Doctor, here I come.
First it's "milking rabbits", next it's choking chickens............
Hmm, I was looking for a career... rabbit milker, now that would be a conversation starter.
"been milked to support tattoo removal from Reno showgirls who rode harleys and were recovering napkin folders...well, thats what they told me"
Another “Dirty Job” for Mike Rowe.
Caption away!
Shades of ‘Meet the Parents’
Little, tiny milk stools.
Pam Byrnes: I had no idea you could milk a cat!
Greg Focker (Ben Stiller): Oh, you can milk just about anything with nipples.
Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro): I have nipples, Greg, could you milk me?
;-)
Uggh. Five minutes too late.
I’m caught somewhere between “Beware the Franken-Bunny!!!” and “I wonder how much that pays?”
DeNiro at his best imho
And of course the comedic clincher: “You milked my cat!”
Same here. That’s the only reason I clicked through to the article’s page :-)
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