The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) International Science Consortium has signed a deal to fund research into diphtheria which will not involve the use of horses.

The group aims to help in the development of more effective treatment for humans without harming equine animals. In India, many horses in farms are allegedly mistreated and hurt resulting in health defects such as blindness, anemia, malnourishment, and lameness. To address the issue, the PETA worldwide consortium donated $142,000 to the Technical University Braunschweig in Germany to initiate the development of a new treatment for the bacterial infection.

Like Us on Facebook

The development will involve human cells in test tube introduced with human anti-toxin instead of equine blood. Professor Michael Hust of Technical University, the leader of the research, said that the replacement of equine serum with human's would be beneficial to both horses and people. He added that anti-toxin from horses is hard to locate and that reactions such as anaphylactic shock sometimes occur in the animal.

The study aims to use recombinant human antibodies to make a serum that is uniform and high quality. The researchers also expect that the new treatment will induce fewer side effects and can be stored for a longer period.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen Handler, the deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, acknowledged the deal made with PETA despite not being involved in the study. He said that "a product that's made with human antibody, as opposed to horse antibody, would be a good idea, assuming it's been appropriately tested and it's as effective." 

PETA International Science Consortium Ltd. was founded in 2012 to provide funding for research that will exclude the use of animals in experiments. Handler explained that the antitoxin from a human has less allergic reactions compared to those extracted from equine species." PETA biologist Jeffrey Brown said that the antitoxin from horses would not be the optimal choice for humans. He added that "we have a shortage of a bad product. We need a better product that we can produce more reliably. Antitoxins are lifesaving drugs, but the way they're manufactured hasn't kept pace with science."

Diphtheria is a lethal bacterial disease that has resulted in thousands of deaths. Edwin Klebs discovered the bacterium in 1882. The treatment for the disease has not changed for the past 100 years since it was introduced by Dr. Emil Von Behring. Horses used in the production of the antitoxin are introduced with diphtheria toxins for them to develop antibodies.