hsc.criver.comCharles River Horseshoe Crab Conservation Efforts

Conservation LAL & Endotoxins process Resources Facts Partnerships SOUTH CAROLINA Contact Charles River horseshoe Crab CONSERVATION As keepers of the environment, we have a responsibility to preserve, protect, and live harmoniously with the animals that share our planet. As a source of critical proteins that detect the presence of endotoxins in products and instruments used by humans, the Atlantic horseshoe crab has long been treasured by the biopharmaceutical industry. For this reason, it is critical that we serve as advocates for the humane treatment of these animals and strive to achieve balance between our need for this valuable material and the livelihood of the animal that provides it. Over the past 25 years, Charles River Laboratories has worked tirelessly to protect and preserve the long-term health of horseshoe crab populations through horseshoe crab conservation efforts, legislative support, and educational campaigns. In South Carolina, we played an instrumental role in the passage of legislation that banned the use of horseshoe crabs as bait for the eel and whelk fisheries, and as a result, the horseshoe crab populations in South Carolina waterways have flourished. Our horseshoe crab conservation and education efforts have also contributed to a healthy ecosystem for other wildlife. Did you know THAT LAL PROTECTS THE ATLANTIC HORSESHOE CRAB? The biomedical industry’s need for the horseshoe crab has, in fact, driven the development of laws to protect the animal. Their best security is the biomedical industry’s continued reliance on them. Without the need for limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), the legal protection of the horseshoe crab is not guaranteed, and they would again fall prey to overfishing and be used as bait for eel and whelk. For this reason, it is critical in our horseshoe crab conservation efforts that we serve as advocates for the humane treatment of these animals and strive to achieve balance between our need for this valuable material and the livelihood of the animal that provides it. Thanks to horseshoe crab biomedical research, the horseshoe crab maintains its protective status, allowing the population to continue to flourish. WATCH THE VIDEO THE ANCIENT MARINER Limulus polyphemus, known as the Atlantic horseshoe crab, is an ancient mariner with a lineage that dates back 440 million years Though they look similar to crustaceans, they actually belong to the subphylum Chelicerata, relating them more closely to spiders and scorpions. Limulus polyphemus is found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from northern Maine to the Yucatán Peninsula, with the Delaware Bay as the center of the population. Horseshoe crab conservation is imperative, not only for the pivotal role these animals play in their ecosystems, but also because the blood of the horseshoe crab is vital for developing life-saving therapies. The true beauty of this remarkable creature, however, is seen in its primitive immune system. Instead of developing antibodies in response to infection, the immune system releases proteins that can bind and kill bacteria. In addition, other immune proteins clot when exposed to waterborne bacteria, a mechanism which forms the basis of the LAL test. LIMULUS AMEBOCYTE LYSATE & ENDOTOXINS LAL ENDOTOXIN TESTING TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES SPACE EXPLORATIONS RESOURCES Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) is an aqueous extract of blood cells (amebocytes) from the horseshoe crab. Comprised of proteins, LAL is used to detect the presence of endotoxins. In the 50 years since this discovery , horseshoe crab blood has served as a natural indicator of bacterial contamination in critical medical treatments all over the world, further making horseshoe crab conservation efforts a top priority. Why is endotoxin detection so important? Endotoxins are a cell wall component of Gram-negative bacteria that cause a pyrogenic response (fever). They are extremely potent, heat stable, and present everywhere bacteria are or have been. With its specificity, simplicity, and remarkable sensitivity, LAL, which is derived from horseshoe crab blood, ensures the safety of many biopharmaceutical products. Globally, over 55% of all injectable pharmaceuticals or implantable devices that come in contact with patients’ blood are tested with our LAL products, made possible by horseshoe crab biomedical research. Vaccines, IV drugs, antibiotics, and implantable medical devices are all examples of biopharmaceutical products that need to be tested to ensure they are free of bacterial endotoxin to save and improve the lives of patients. ‍ Learn more about our LAL products.Prior to FDA approval of LAL in the 1980s, the rabbit pyrogen test was the standard FDA-approved test for endotoxins . This test, however, was labor intensive, lengthy, and expensive. Years of research and application have proven LAL to be unequivocally recognized as the most sensitive method available for the detection of endotoxins, making horseshoe crab biomedical research imperative.To illustrate, LAL can detect as little as 1 pg/mL of harmful bacterial endotoxin (equivalent to one grain of sand in an Olympic-sized pool).Approximately 70 million LAL tests are performed each year, and there have been no FDA-confirmed pyrogenic outbreaks due to the failure of LAL detecting the presence of endotoxin. As a highly regulated product, manufactured LAL undergoes biannual inspections by the FDA and must conform to cGMP requirements. Of course, to manufacture LAL, horseshoe crab blood must be carefully collected through a controlled bleeding program, that adheres to horseshoe crab conservation standards. Policies such as hand-harvesting and returning to the sea within 36 hours ensure the animals’ safety. With a focus on horseshoe crab conservation, innovation, humane care and environmental protection, Charles River has responsibly manufactured LAL since 1987. ‍ Learn more about our rapid endotoxin products.Charles River has been a pioneer in the realm of endotoxin detection and horseshoe crab conservation efforts, developing an FDA-licensed LAL cartridge that further safeguards the 440-million-year-old species by using 95 percent less raw material than traditional LAL tests. If all tests were performed using this optimized technology, today’s entire worldwide demand could be met with the horseshoe crab blood collected from our current annual supply of animals. Our cartridge technology is the most environmentally conscious strategy because it significantly reduces the amount of LAL per test and minimizes the need for retesting that is often necessary with traditional methods. ‍ Learn more about our FDA-licensed cartridge technology.In 2006, Charles River launched the Endosafe ® -PTS™ , the first portable endotoxin test system that accelerates the discovery and development of new drugs by detecting endotoxin contaminants in drugs, medical devices and biological products. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station began using the system to perform biological studies necessary for an extended human presence in space–from crew health and spacecraft environmental studies to the search for life elsewhere in the solar system. NASA has used the Endosafe ® -PTS™ to monitor the environment for microbial contamination during the construction of the Mars exploration rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity". Future applications of PTS and horseshoe crab biomedical research may include monitoring the spread of Earth-derived biological material to the Moon and detecting signs of microbial life on Mars. ‍ ‍ Learn more about our adventures in space.ATLANTIC HORSESHOE CRAB CONSERVATION VIDEO ATLANTIC HORSESHOE CRAB CONSERVATION BROCHURE ENDOSAFE ® CARTRIDGE TECHNOLOGY BROCHURE BENEFIT OF THE ATLANTIC HORSESHOE CRAB IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES: OUR STRONG COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING THE HORSESHOE CRAB SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE PROCESS In order to produce LAL, we need an extract from the blood of the horseshoe crab. As part of our...