TEDYouth 2014
Jaap de Roode: How butterflies self-medicate
Jaap de Roode: 蝴蝶如何自我治療
Filmed:
Readability: 4.2
1,143,584 views
帝王班蝶和人類一樣為寄生蟲患病，生物學家 Roode 卻在研究時發現患病的雌蝶會把卵產在一種特別的植物上，讓下一代免為患病。牠們如何選擇這些植物？這種”新蝴蝶效應“可能會讓人類找到治病的新藥方。
Jaap de Roode - Biologist
Jaap de Roode studies the ecology and evolution of parasites, focusing on those that attack the monarch butterfly. Full bio
Jaap de Roode studies the ecology and evolution of parasites, focusing on those that attack the monarch butterfly. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
So infectious diseases, right?
0
190
1530
傳染病，
00:13
Infectious diseases
are still the main cause
are still the main cause
1
1720
2150
傳染病仍然是全球人類
00:15
of human suffering and death
around the world.
around the world.
2
3870
2327
生病和死亡的主因。
00:18
Every year, millions of people die
of diseases such as T.B., malaria, HIV,
of diseases such as T.B., malaria, HIV,
3
6197
5170
每一年，全球有百萬人口
死於肺結核、瘧疾、愛滋，
00:23
around the world
and even in the United States.
and even in the United States.
4
11367
2346
甚至在美國，
每年都有成千上萬的人因流感致命。
每年都有成千上萬的人因流感致命。
00:25
Every year, thousands of Americans
die of seasonal flu.
die of seasonal flu.
5
13713
3606
00:29
Now of course, humans,
we are creative. Right?
we are creative. Right?
6
17319
2155
人類不是很有創意嗎？
00:31
We have come up with ways to protect
ourselves against these diseases.
ourselves against these diseases.
7
19474
3325
我們想出不少辦法保護自己，
00:34
We have drugs and vaccines.
8
22799
1305
用藥物和疫苗抵抗傳染病。
00:36
And we're conscious --
we learn from our experiences
we learn from our experiences
9
24104
3385
我們從經驗中學習，
00:39
and come up with creative solutions.
10
27489
1927
不斷想出新的解決方案。
00:41
We used to think we're alone in this,
but now we know we're not.
but now we know we're not.
11
29416
3065
我們以為我們為此孤軍奮戰，
00:44
We're not the only medical doctors.
12
32481
1819
我們不是唯一會醫治自己的動物，
00:46
Now we know that there's a lot of animals
out there that can do it too.
out there that can do it too.
13
34300
3406
許多動物也有自己的方法，
00:49
Most famous, perhaps, chimpanzees.
14
37706
1624
最有名的例子是黒猩猩，
00:51
Not so much different from us,
15
39330
1501
就像人類，
00:52
they can use plants
to treat their intestinal parasites.
to treat their intestinal parasites.
16
40831
2865
牠們懂得用藥草驅逐腸胃裡的寄生蟲。
00:55
But the last few decades have shown us
that other animals can do it too:
that other animals can do it too:
17
43696
3447
過去幾十年間我們發現其它動物也能，
00:59
elephants, porcupines,
sheep, goats, you name it.
sheep, goats, you name it.
18
47143
3379
大象、刺蝟、山羊、綿羊，等等。
01:02
And even more interesting than that
is that recent discoveries are telling us
is that recent discoveries are telling us
19
50522
3639
有趣的是我們最近發現，
01:06
that insects and other little animals with
smaller brains can use medication too.
smaller brains can use medication too.
20
54161
5442
昆蟲與其它腦子較小的動物也會用藥。
01:11
The problem with infectious diseases,
as we all know,
as we all know,
21
59603
2529
我們都知道，傳染病的問題
01:14
is that pathogens continue to evolve,
22
62132
1949
是病原體不斷演化，
01:16
and a lot of the drugs
that we have developed
that we have developed
23
64081
2236
以致我們開發出的藥物
01:18
are losing their efficacy.
24
66317
1659
隨之失效。
01:19
And therefore, there is this great need
to find new ways to discover drugs
to find new ways to discover drugs
25
67976
4233
我們迫切需要新方法
01:24
that we can use against our diseases.
26
72209
1904
開發新藥物來治療傳染病。
01:26
Now, I think that we
should look at these animals,
should look at these animals,
27
74113
2554
我認為我們應該研究這些動物，
01:28
and we can learn from them
how to treat our own diseases.
how to treat our own diseases.
28
76667
3134
從牠們身上學習，來治療我們自己。
做為生物學家，
過去十年我致力研究帝王斑蝶，
過去十年我致力研究帝王斑蝶，
01:32
As a biologist, I have been studying
monarch butterflies for the last 10 years.
monarch butterflies for the last 10 years.
29
80331
4300
01:36
Now, monarchs are extremely famous
for their spectacular migrations
for their spectacular migrations
30
84631
3368
帝王斑蝶以牠們的遷徙習性而出名
01:39
from the U.S. and Canada
down to Mexico every year,
down to Mexico every year,
31
87999
3110
從加拿大、美國南遷到墨西哥
01:43
where millions of them come together,
32
91109
2020
數量以百萬計，
01:45
but it's not why I started studying them.
33
93129
2531
但這不是我研究牠們的原因。
01:47
I study monarchs because they get sick.
34
95660
2391
而是因為牠們和我們一樣
01:50
They get sick like you.
They get sick like me.
They get sick like me.
35
98051
2462
會罹患傳染病，所以我研究牠們。
01:52
And I think what they do
can tell us a lot about drugs
can tell us a lot about drugs
36
100513
2687
我想研究牠們可以學習到
01:55
that we can develop for humans.
37
103200
2212
為人類開發藥物的方法。
01:57
Now, the parasites
that monarchs get infected with
that monarchs get infected with
38
105412
2435
斑蝶染上的寄生蟲有個很長的名字，
01:59
are called ophryocystis elektroscirrha --
a mouthful.
a mouthful.
39
107847
3879
叫 ophryocystis elektroscirrha。
02:03
What they do is they produce spores,
40
111726
1766
它們在蝴蝶表面
02:05
millions of spores
on the outside of the butterfly
on the outside of the butterfly
41
113492
2392
生產數以百萬的孢子，
02:07
that are shown as little specks
in between the scales of the butterfly.
in between the scales of the butterfly.
42
115884
3377
可以從翅膀上鱗與鱗之間的斑點見到。
02:11
And this is really detrimental
to the monarch.
to the monarch.
43
119261
2358
帝王斑蝶為此受到很大傷害
02:13
It shortens their lifespan,
44
121619
1648
不但縮短了牠們的壽命，
02:15
it reduces their ability to fly,
45
123267
2105
也降低了牠們的飛行能力。
02:17
it can even kill them
before they're even adults.
before they're even adults.
46
125372
2507
甚至能在牠們成熟前就殺死牠們。
02:19
Very detrimental parasite.
47
127879
1881
一種極為可怕的寄生蟲。
02:21
As part of my job, I spend a lot of time
in the greenhouse growing plants,
in the greenhouse growing plants,
48
129760
4156
我的工作內容包括長時間在溫室養植物
02:25
and the reason for this is that monarchs
are extremely picky eaters.
are extremely picky eaters.
49
133916
3553
因為帝王斑蝶很挑食。
02:29
They only eat milkweed as larvae.
50
137469
1995
帝王斑蝶的幼蟲只吃乳草。
02:31
Luckily, there are several
species of milkweed that they can use,
species of milkweed that they can use,
51
139464
3085
好險有幾種不同的乳草可供其食用，
02:34
and all these milkweeds
have cardenolides in them.
have cardenolides in them.
52
142549
2356
所有的乳草中都有
強心甾 (cardenolides)
強心甾 (cardenolides)
02:36
These are chemicals that are toxic.
53
144905
1794
一種對許多動物都有影響的致命毒素。
02:38
They're toxic to most animals,
but not to monarchs.
but not to monarchs.
54
146699
2395
但帝王斑蝶例外。
02:41
In fact, monarchs
can take up the chemicals,
can take up the chemicals,
55
149094
2222
帝王斑蝶甚至能吸收這些化學成份，
02:43
put it in their own bodies,
and it makes them toxic
and it makes them toxic
56
151316
2408
以體內毒素抵抗牠們的天敵，
02:45
against their predators, such as birds.
57
153724
2279
例如鳥類。
02:48
And what they do, then,
is advertise this toxicity
is advertise this toxicity
58
156003
2374
牠們用身上鮮豔的黃黒白斑紋
02:50
through their beautiful
warning colorations
warning colorations
59
158377
2021
來廣告自己的毒性，
02:52
with this orange, black and white.
60
160398
2078
一種自然警告標識。
02:54
So what I did during my job
is grow plants in the greenhouse,
is grow plants in the greenhouse,
61
162476
3872
當我在溫室工作善盡己責
02:58
different ones, different milkweeds.
62
166348
1746
種植不同乳草時，
03:00
Some were toxic, including
the tropical milkweed,
the tropical milkweed,
63
168094
2754
某些毒性很高，像是熱帶乳草，
03:02
with very high concentrations
of these cardenolides.
of these cardenolides.
64
170848
3289
有大量的強心甾 (cardenolides)，
03:06
And some were not toxic.
65
174137
1178
某些卻沒有毒素。
03:07
And then I fed them to monarchs.
66
175315
2320
在我餵食帝王斑蝶時，
03:09
Some of the monarchs were healthy.
They had no disease.
They had no disease.
67
177635
2623
某些斑蝶沒有染病，很健康。
03:12
But some of the monarchs were sick,
68
180258
1775
某些斑蝶則生著病，
03:14
and what I found is that
some of these milkweeds are medicinal,
some of these milkweeds are medicinal,
69
182033
3023
我發現某些乳草有藥效，
03:17
meaning they reduce the disease symptoms
in the monarch butterflies,
in the monarch butterflies,
70
185056
3237
有效減低帝王斑蝶的症狀，
03:20
meaning these monarchs can live longer
when they are infected
when they are infected
71
188293
3117
只要牠們食用這些藥草，
03:23
when feeding on these medicinal plants.
72
191410
1914
就可以延長自己的性命。
03:25
And when I found this, I had this idea,
73
193324
2711
當我發現的時候，
我有了一個很多人覺得很瘋狂的想法。
03:28
and a lot of people said
it was a crazy idea,
it was a crazy idea,
74
196035
2308
03:30
but I thought,
what if monarchs can use this?
what if monarchs can use this?
75
198343
2474
我想，如果帝王斑蝶可以應用呢？
03:32
What if they can use these plants
as their own form of medicine?
as their own form of medicine?
76
200817
3059
如果牠們可以把這些乳草當做藥物呢？
03:35
What if they can act as medical doctors?
77
203876
2602
如果牠們可以為自己開藥方呢？
03:38
So my team and I
started doing experiments.
started doing experiments.
78
206828
2026
我的團隊和我開始實驗。
03:40
In the first types of experiments,
79
208854
1801
在第一類實驗裡，
03:42
we had caterpillars,
and gave them a choice:
and gave them a choice:
80
210655
2170
我們給幼蟲兩種選擇：
03:44
medicinal milkweed versus
non-medicinal milkweed.
non-medicinal milkweed.
81
212825
2741
有藥性的乳草和沒有藥性的乳草。
03:47
And then we measured how much they ate
of each species over their lifetime.
of each species over their lifetime.
82
215566
3620
然後測量牠們一生各自吃了多少。
03:51
And the result, as so often
in science, was boring:
in science, was boring:
83
219186
3014
就像大部分的科學研究結果一樣，
答案很無聊：
答案很無聊：
03:54
Fifty percent of their food was medicinal.
Fifty percent was not.
Fifty percent was not.
84
222200
4251
有藥性和沒有藥性的各半。
03:58
These caterpillars didn't do
anything for their own welfare.
anything for their own welfare.
85
226451
3270
這些幼蟲沒有為自己做出有利的選擇。
04:02
So then we moved on to adult butterflies,
86
230611
2075
於是我們轉為研究成蝶，
04:04
and we started asking the question
87
232686
1891
我們想
04:06
whether it's the mothers
that can medicate their offspring.
that can medicate their offspring.
88
234577
3158
母蝶會對自己的幼蟲用藥嗎？
04:09
Can the mothers lay their eggs
on medicinal milkweed
on medicinal milkweed
89
237735
2774
牠們會把卵產在有藥效的乳草上，
04:12
that will make their
future offspring less sick?
future offspring less sick?
90
240509
3199
減輕幼蟲的症狀？
04:15
We have done these experiments now
over several years,
over several years,
91
243708
2528
我們複製這個實驗多年，
04:18
and always get the same results.
92
246236
1788
得到一樣的結果。
04:20
What we do is we put
a monarch in a big cage,
a monarch in a big cage,
93
248024
2162
我們把帝王斑蝶放進大籠子裡
04:22
a medicinal plant on one side,
a non-medicinal plant on the other side,
a non-medicinal plant on the other side,
94
250186
3483
一邊是的乳草是有藥性的，一邊沒有，
04:25
and then we measure the number of eggs
that the monarchs lay on each plant.
that the monarchs lay on each plant.
95
253669
4576
然後測量牠們在兩種乳草上的產卵數，
04:30
And what we find when we do that
is always the same.
is always the same.
96
258245
3109
獲得的結果是一致的。
04:33
What we find is that the monarchs
strongly prefer the medicinal milkweed.
strongly prefer the medicinal milkweed.
97
261354
3593
我們發現帝王斑蝶偏好藥性乳草。
04:36
In other words,
what these females are doing
what these females are doing
98
264947
2101
換句話說，
04:39
is they're laying 68 percent
of their eggs in the medicinal milkweed.
of their eggs in the medicinal milkweed.
99
267048
3344
雌蝶把 68％ 的卵產在藥性乳草上。
04:42
Intriguingly, what they do
is they actually transmit the parasites
is they actually transmit the parasites
100
270392
4220
事實上，在牠們產卵的時候，
也不可避免的
04:46
when they're laying the eggs.
101
274612
1465
04:48
They cannot prevent this.
102
276077
1435
傳播了寄生蟲。
04:49
They can also not medicate themselves.
103
277512
1931
牠們不能治療自己。
04:51
But what these experiments tell us
104
279443
2237
但這個實驗告訴我們
04:53
is that these monarchs, these mothers,
can lay their eggs on medicinal milkweed
can lay their eggs on medicinal milkweed
105
281680
4829
帝王斑蝶把卵產在有藥性的乳草上，
04:58
that will make their
future offspring less sick.
future offspring less sick.
106
286509
2639
減輕幼蟲的病況。
05:03
Now, this is a really
important discovery, I think,
important discovery, I think,
107
291058
2523
我覺得這個發現很重要。
05:05
not just because it tells us
something cool about nature,
something cool about nature,
108
293581
2834
不只是因為它顯示了大自然的奧妙
05:08
but also because it may tell us something
more about how we should find drugs.
more about how we should find drugs.
109
296415
3686
更提醒我們應該如何開發藥物。
05:12
Now, these are animals that are very small
110
300101
2000
這些動物都很小，
05:14
and we tend to think of them
as very simple.
as very simple.
111
302101
2099
我們曾經覺得牠們構造單純，
05:16
They have tiny little brains,
112
304200
1557
牠們的大腦很小，
05:17
yet they can do this
very sophisticated medication.
very sophisticated medication.
113
305757
2424
但牠們卻懂得利用自然草藥。
05:20
Now, we know that even today,
most of our drugs
most of our drugs
114
308811
2578
直到今日，
05:23
derive from natural products,
including plants,
including plants,
115
311389
2759
我們從自然中提取藥物，包括植物，
05:26
and in indigenous cultures,
116
314148
1612
在一些原始文化中，
05:27
traditional healers often look
at animals to find new drugs.
at animals to find new drugs.
117
315760
2835
傳統療法時常借鏡動物來找新藥。
05:30
In this way, elephants have told us
how to treat stomach upset,
how to treat stomach upset,
118
318595
3407
大象教我們如何治療腸胃不適，
05:34
and porcupines have told people
how to treat bloody diarrhea.
how to treat bloody diarrhea.
119
322002
3289
刺蝟教我們如何處理腹瀉。
05:37
What I think is important,
though, is to move beyond
though, is to move beyond
120
325291
2655
我想，最重要的是，
除了那些大腦發達的哺乳類動物外，
05:39
these large-brained mammals
and give these guys more credit,
and give these guys more credit,
121
327946
3808
我們也應該更加注重
05:43
these simple animals, these insects
that we tend to think of
that we tend to think of
122
331754
2902
那些構造簡單的動物、昆蟲。
05:46
as very, very simple
with tiny little brains.
with tiny little brains.
123
334656
3249
05:49
The discovery that these animals
can also use medication
can also use medication
124
337905
3971
發現這些動物懂得用藥，
05:53
opens up completely new avenues,
125
341876
2479
讓我們進入全新領域。
05:56
and I think that maybe one day,
we will be treating human diseases
we will be treating human diseases
126
344355
4714
也許有一天，
我們會用蝴蝶找到的藥物來治療人類，
06:01
with drugs that were first
discovered by butterflies,
discovered by butterflies,
127
349069
3109
06:04
and I think that is an amazing opportunity
worth pursuing.
worth pursuing.
128
352178
3975
我想這個機會是值得把握的。
06:08
Thank you so much.
129
356153
2163
謝謝各位。
06:10
(Applause)
130
358316
4505
（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jaap de Roode - BiologistJaap de Roode studies the ecology and evolution of parasites, focusing on those that attack the monarch butterfly.
Why you should listen
At his lab at Emory University, Jaap de Roode and his team study parasites and their hosts. Some of the questions that intrigue them: If a parasite depends on its host's survival for its own well-being, why do so many of them cause harm? In what ways are hosts able to self-medicate in order to make themselves less desirable to parasites? And are the abilities to harm hosts — and the ability of hosts to self-medicate — favored by natural selection?
The De Roode Lab focuses on the monarch butterfly and its parasites. The team has made a fascinating discovery: that female butterflies infected by a parasite choose to lay their eggs on a specific variety of milkweed that helps their offspring avoid getting sick. De Roode hopes that this insight could lead to new approaches in medications for human beings in the future.
Jaap de Roode | Speaker | TED.com