Goats cure

Farmyard animals could be saving the lives of humans if new research proves successful.

Boston television station WCVB reported that hybrid goats being raised on a Charlton, Mass., farm could revolutionize the way doctors treat patients.

Atryn, the world's first medicine produced from the milk of hybrid goats, has been approved in Europe to treat people with a rare blood disorder. People who need Atryn are prone to blood clots and often take blood thinners to decrease their risk of heart attacks and strokes, researchers said. But patients must stop taking those medications before having surgery or childbirth, to decrease the chance of excess bleeding. That, researchers said, is where Atryn comes in.

"They need their anti-thrombin levels brought up to normal levels in order to go safely through the procedure," said Geoffrey Cox, of GTC Biotherapeutics.

To make Atryn, veterinarians inject goat embryos with specialized DNA. The goats produce milk that has special blood clotting agents. Research showed that these agents are more efficient in producing blood-clotting agents than the traditional treatment, a transfusion of human blood plasma.

"One animal produces anti-thrombin (comparable) to 90,000 blood donations," Cox said.

The hybrid goats look and act like typical goats. The only difference, GTC researchers said, is how they are raised.

"The animal food is very clean. The animals are routinely sampled for various viruses. They are carrying a foreign piece of DNA so, from a physiological standpoint, yes, they are producing a human protein. But from a vet standpoint, they are normal, everyday mischievous goats," said Michael Schofield, of GTC Biotherapeutics.

Atryn is undergoing clinical trials in the U.S., and could be approved by the Food and Drug Administration next year. GTC is looking at whether Atryn could be used for other conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, HIV and cancer.