A contented New Zealand white rabbit can produce 140ml of milk per day
The first commercial milking of rabbits, using specially adapted eight-teat machines, is already taking place at a farm in Holland, reported the Sunday Times.
The rabbits have been genetically modified to include a human gene, which means their milk contains a protein called C1 inhibitor. C1 helps control inflammation in the body, and a lack of it can be highly damaging.
The milk protein is intended to prevent the rejection of transplant organs and tissue damage in survivors of strokes and heart attacks, as well as helping car crash victims who have suffered traumatic bruising to internal organs.
C1 can be harvested from human blood and other animal sources, but is expensive to obtain and carries the risk of contamination and infection with viruses such as AIDS or CJD, the human version of mad cow disease.
Such issues do not arise with milk from the high-tech rabbit farm.
Hilary Longhurst, an immunologist at Barts hospital in London, said: “I am really excited. This therapy will transform the lives of sufferers.”
Further farms are expected to open to meet demand.
Sijmen de Vries, the chief executive of Pharming, the biotech company behind the project, said: "“There is a great unmet need for this product. We have the capacity to produce it cheaply in unlimited quantities.”
A contented New Zealand white rabbit can produce 140ml of milk per day
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