Secretions from the skin of a South American frog could provide a new treatment for diabetes. The paradoxical frog, Pseudis paradoxa, secretes a substance from its skin which protects it from infection. But the molecule, pseudin-2, may have another use for humans. Researchers found that it stimulates the release of insulin, the vital hormone which is deficient in diabetes sufferers.

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This is one of those examples of why we should be doing everything we can to protect the rainforst and its inhabitants.

Use this thread to discuss the article posted/linked above. What are your thoughts about South American Frog Secretions Stimulate Insulin Release, Could Offer Diabetes Treatment Hope?

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.:: Rich ::.

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I've seen this countless times on the Discovery channel. They are in the remote jungles and talk about the physical healing properties that the villagers use from local frogs. Since they've been using these remedies for hundreds of years, there has to be some truth to it.
I think there are a lot of cures that can come from nature.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

I just hope this means that people don't try to go out and "harvest" the frogs for scientific research....

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Agreed. Nature has a cure for almost everything, or will create one when it is absolutely required. The fact that the animals and plants that reside in these locations can do so much; you would think would be reason enough to force governments to see how important it is to protect these locations.

Every acre of jungle/rainforest that gets destroyed takes with it the potential for a remedy to illnesses we currently don't have efficient cures/treatments for.

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.:: Rich ::.

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And unfortunately once its gone its gone forever!
The rabid short sightedness of humans may actually exterminate the cure for the most deadly diseases known to man.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Unfortunately I believe they will harvest some of the frogs for the research. If it's any indication that captive-bred specimens would lose these special qualities. Such is the case with the Arrowhead Frogs.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Interesting. But I guess this goes back to the animal Vs. humans debate. Are the lives of animals who have been bred specifically for a purpose - like food or research - more or less important than the lives of those humans that they save by becoming food or a cure for a disease?

It's something we debated in high school.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

I would actually say that they are MORE important than the humans they are saving. If you think about it, my statement makes sense. Lets say an animal IS the cure for cancer. How important is that animal all of a sudden? It would become one of the most sought after critters on the planet and be valued as gold.

So why is it killed and experimented on to save humans? That would fall back on the food chain and the order of life. Unfortunantly humans are at the top of the chain. Without those critters, cancer would still be running rampant. By killing them for medical purposes, or food, we fall back into self preservation mode.

In the governments eyes, the life of unseen critters means nothing until they have a specific use for that animal. At that point, the animal suddenly becomes an icon and is protected. Self preservation is a primal instinct and will always prevail over what is ethicaly right or wrong.

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.:: Rich ::.

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I totally agree.

But what about if they were bred in numbers specifically as a cure, while the native population was left untouched (except for the original breeders, of course)? Would that change things?

(Asked purely out of philosophical curiosity.)

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

frogs ARE the key to the future. I was right all along.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.