Marine Animals in Medical Research

Abstract

PHAGOCYTOSIS, probably everyone would agree, is a key component in the defense armamentarium of man. Yet its importance was first realized in studies with a marine creature, the starfish larva.¹This discovery was exceptional. In general, few researchers until recently were cognizant of the value of marine animals in studying fundamental processes of relevance to man. Within the last decade, however, there have been a number of articles describing the special attributes of these animals and forecasting noteworthy benefits from their increased use in medically oriented research.^2-5At the national level, it was recognized that there is a need for more scientists trained in the combination area of marine biology and health science.⁶ <h3>Cause for Underuse</h3> Yet today, despite this generally stimulating literature, it is rare to find marine animals being used in substantial numbers by the medical researcher, and the question is why. A probable basic