Concern over animal molecule in drugs Modern drugs used to treat
serious diseases contain an animal molecule that can harm the
health of some patients, it was claimed. The non-human sugar is
also present in meat and could help explain dietary associations
with heart disease and cancer, say scientists. Sialic acids are
found in all mammals and coat the surfaces of cells, allowing
them to interact with their companions and the surrounding
environment. At the same time the sugars are targets for
infectious diseases such as influenza, malaria and cholera.
Humans lack one type of sialic acid that is found in many other
mammals, including our close relatives chimpanzees and gorillas.
When the animal version, known as Neu5Gc, finds its way into the
human body it triggers an immune response that can have a
damaging inflammatory effect in some individuals, said the
researchers. The US scientists found that many modern biotech
drugs derived from animal sources - some of which are actually
used to treat inflammatory dis