Medicinal Use of Antlers

Velvet antlers are often sliced thin and dried for direct use or preparation of powders, tinctures, or other compounds.

Frequent association with ceremonial settings shows that antlers have amazed hunters long before we started scoring antlers in inches and points. Some of the spiritual mystique of antlers comes from the fact they’re cast off and regrown every year, and that has been viewed by just about every culture on Earth as a symbol of rebirth and healing.

Evidence of the spiritual significance of antlers can be seen in their prevalence in graves, ceremonies, and religious beliefs. Wooden sculptures of stylized deer or people with antlers were found in the tombs of Zhou Dynasty in China 2,0003,000 years ago. Antlers were carefully placed at the head of the tombs and thought to guard the grave and ward off evil spirits. Antlered gods, deer masks, and antler headdresses were common in religious rituals throughout the world and this widespread use shows the powerful force antlers have had on humans worldwide.

Antlers have also been widely seen as a symbol of masculinity because, with the exception of caribou, they are exclusively a male appendage. This notion of masculinity is probably the origin of partially grown antlers being used for medicinal cures and supplements. Since antlers are made of protein, calcium, phosphorus, and contain growth factors and hormones, it seems intuitive that they might have beneficial properties. One particular compound, Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF1), is often mentioned as an active ingredient in antler-based supplements.

Velvet antlers

When people refer to “velvet” it’s not just the velvet skin, but dried cross-sections or pulverized pieces of the cartilage and skin of growing antlers. The young growing antlers of deer, usually elk and red deer, are cut off when about two-thirds grown and dried. The medicinal use of velvet antler was first mentioned in writing on a Chinese silk scroll dated to 168 B.C. and containing a wide range of medical treatments and prescriptions using velvet antler in some form. Since that time, velvet antlers have factored heavily in traditional Chinese medicine. The list of ailments treated with velvet antler products covers just about everything you would see in a medical dictionary. Because of the above-mentioned connection with masculinity, it’s often purported to increase sex drive, improve fertility, and other related issues.

Antlers are still used as a component of traditional Chinese medicine but are also now sold worldwide for the same purposes. The most famous recent example of their use surfaced in 2013 when Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis found himself in trouble just prior to the Super Bowl. Allegedly, he used deer antler spray containing IGF-1, a banned substance by the NFL. It’s not even clear if natural velvet antler has enough IGF-1 to produce any beneficial effects, or if it can be absorbed orally.

One medical doctor commented if a spray can deliver IGF-1 orally, the medical profession would be using that for patients who currently receive IGF-1 injections for various medical issues. One study showed there was indeed IGF-1 in a commercial antler product, but it did not originate from deer. Like all supplements—antlers contain compounds that have been shown in laboratory settings to aid certain medical conditions, but scientific evidence that any particular velvet antler derivative actually helped human patients is rare. Claims are rarely based on rigorous scientific research with experimental controls, human trials, and adequate sample sizes. Much more quality research would have to be conducted before these supplements could be integrated into mainstream medical practices.

Limb regeneration

Remarkably, amphibians like salamanders can completely regenerate an arm or leg from a healed stump. Researchers were astounded to learn one salamander, the axolotl, is capable of re-growing a spinal cord, heart and limbs. Mammals cannot regenerate limbs, but antlers represent the only mammalian structure that can completely regenerate, which makes them a good model for medical research. If researchers can learn how antlers regrow themselves in the same shape, maybe we can duplicate the process with humans’ appendages.

Recent research shows antlers regenerate using a completely different process—stem cells—than amphibian limbs. Antlers

The cartilage-like protein core wrapped in velvet skin has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes.

are initiated from a pad of tissue under the forehead skin of fawns called the “antlerogeneic periosteum” (AP) which sit on top of two boney protuberances that eventually grow into the antler pedicles. Unlike skin cells or bone cells, this AP tissue contains stem cells that are general cells with the ability to develop into any kind of tissue. Since antlers are made of a variety of tissues—skin, bones, nerves, blood vessels, connective

tissue, cartilage—this AP tissue has been the focus of research to unlock the clues to regenerating limbs. Think about the future possibilities of being able to regenerate limbs of human amputees.

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When antlers are shed, they immediately begin a healing process that marks the beginning of complete regeneration of the lost appendage. Specialized tissue at the ends of the pedicles of the skull contain stem cells that can become hair, bone, nerves, or skin.

Bone and cancer research

Antler growth more closely resembles bone cancer growth than regular bone growth. In fact, antlers grow even faster than cancer cell growth. To grow bone that fast, the body would have to be able to suppress the growth so it doesn’t get out of control. Allowing such rapid antler growth and then slowing it down and stopping it takes some regulation so it was not surprising when researchers found the deer family has more active tumor suppressing genes. Surveys of cancer in captive mammals found members of the deer family are five times less likely to get cancer, undoubtedly because of their ability to suppress tumor-like growth. Here again, if we can unlock the secrets to suppressing the incredible summer growth of bone, skin, nerves, and blood vessels of antlers, we might be able to apply that to stop or slow cancer cell growth.

Antler material has shown promise as a material to use in bone grafts. When a bone is badly damaged from trauma or disease, it needs a structural bridge to heal back together. Because of their similarity in chemistry, structure, and biological properties, antler material has been shown to be accepted and integrated into the bone healing process.

Since bucks cannot eat enough calcium and phosphorous during antler growing to supply these fast-growing structures, they mobilize calcium from their skeleton to supply the antlers.

After the antlers are fully mineralized, the buck’s body then replenishes the bone density loss in the skeleton through dietary intake. The seasonal loss in bone density and replacement serves as a model for investigating osteoporosis. This skeletonantler cycle might teach us how to replenish lost skeletal bone density.

Cloning

When stem cells were discovered in the antlerogenic periosteum, researchers hatched a plan to regenerate more than just a limb. Using antler stem cells, they cloned two genetically identical red deer in New Zealand along with nine more deer clones using stem cells from other tissues. This may not have a direct human medicinal connection, but cloning could be used in saving endangered deer species. Also, when researching medicinal uses of antlers, identical deer clones would eliminate individual variation in traits, allowing researchers to better identify the effects of the factors they study.

Medical research continues to move at a blinding pace and deer are helping to advance the cause. Given the importance of the medical research outlined here, it’s not out of the question that deer may someday save humanity.

STORY

Leighton with his buck he took while on a “surprise” hunt with his dad.

I’ve been going hunting for as long as I can remember with Dad, my brother, and Grandpa. My first ever big hunt was in 2013 when I was given the opportunity to shoot a deer. We hunted at Dr. Klein’s vineyard outside Austin. We camped out in a big red barn and had barbeques and shared a lot of great hunting stories.

One day, we woke up at 7 a.m. to go on a hunting trip with Uncle Mark, my brother Brendan, and Dad. We drove about 2½ hours to the ranch with nothing on our minds but shooting a big doe. Eventually we arrived at the camp and were greeted by Uncle Mark and “Maggie,” the best dog in the world.

Around 3:30, Uncle Mark told us to grab our guns and he would take us to our blind. We grabbed our guns, got inside the pickup, and headed to the blind where my dad and I would be hunting. We arrived at the blind and sat there for an hour before the feeder went off. We sat there for another 30 minutes till a couple of does and a four-point walked out.

We watched them for about 5 minutes until my dad told me, “Leighton, grab your gun and see if you can aim your sight at the top of the feeder.” So I did just that. I lifted my gun from the ground, pointed it at the feeder and I could see it perfectly. After a few seconds I told him, “I can see it clearly.” “OK,” he said. “Point your gun at that four-point nearest to the feeder and put your sight right behind its shoulder.” I nodded, pointed my gun at the four-point, locked in the crosshairs, took the gun off safety, put my finger on the trigger and shot it right behind the shoulder. The deer scattered with the four-point nowhere in sight.

I got super disappointed because I thought I’d missed my shot. My dad then told me when you shoot deer behind the shoulder, they tend to wander off a little bit. After a few minutes, which seemed like forever, we decided to go look for this deer. We walked down the hill and walked towards the feeder.

We saw nothing—no blood, not even a little sliver of deer hair. I was worried and sad that I may have missed my shot on this deer, but that didn’t stop us from looking. We walked into the back of the woods, and we couldn’t find anything. And then I spotted a little brown lump behind a tree. I screamed, “OVER THERE, DAD! OVER THERE!”

We headed over to where the deer was, and I saw my first ever deer. I was so pumped up to tell my brother I shot my first deer! I thought I was just as cool as him. That night, we ate summer sausage and crackers as I told my story to everyone.

Eight years later, I sat in class talking to my buddies when I got a text from Dad, saying, “Tell your coaches you won’t be there tomorrow.” Confused, I asked him why. He said it’s a surprise and he’d explain more later. I texted “okay” to him and went on with my day.

I told Coach Hodges I wouldn’t be at school the next day for athletics. He told me I would have to come back and work much harder in the weight room because I would miss a day. I said, “Yes, sir,” and then I worked out with my team. After practice, Mom picked me up and we headed home. The only thing I could think was, “Where in the world could we be going?” We pulled up to the house and my dogs “Buster,” “Bailey,” and the little dog, “Baxter,” greeted me. I went to my room, put my backpack on the floor and went outside to talk to Dad. I said, “Dad, you have to tell me where we’re going.” He said, “Just don’t worry about it and go pack some jeans and some camo.”

Leighton with his dad, after making a new hunting memory.

We were going hunting, but where? Maybe Poco, maybe the Houston Ranch. I went inside, ate my dinner, took a shower and went to bed. I woke up the next morning still wondering where we were going.

I did my online work and watched some TV. About 30 minutes later I heard a knock at my door. I opened it and saw my dad holding a gun case and wearing camo. He then said, “Are you ready to go to Charco Marrano?” My face turned bright red with excitement because I knew I would get the chance to shoot a trophy buck!

I got my boots on, grabbed my bag and headed out the door. I said goodbye to my dogs and got inside the truck. We drove for about 2½ hours to the ranch. We drove through the big metal gate and pulled up to the ranch house.

We were greeted by their big yellow Lab and Mr. Glen. We talked to Mr. Glen for a couple minutes, then he asked us, “Y’all ready to go shoot a buck?” I said yes, then we got into his pickup and drove to the blind. He showed us the stock tanks, a one-antlered deer they call “Elliot,” and a lot of other places around the property. Twenty minutes later we arrived at the blind. We walked up those steps and played musical chairs trying to find a good place for me to sit so I could have the best possible angle to shoot this trophy buck. I whispered to my dad, “Game on.” He chuckled and we high-fived each other. Mr. Glen looked at me and said, “When this buck comes out, don’t shoot until I tell you to do so.” I nodded yes.

After 15 minutes the feeder went off and two huge does walked out along with a 2-year-old buck. I looked at Mr. Glen and asked, “Is that the buck?” He said, “No, that’s not even close to how big the one you’re gonna shoot is.” I chuckled and turned around. When I turned around, I saw the buck he was talking about.

Mr. Glen looked at me and said, “That’s the one, buddy.” I looked at my dad and he said, “Well, what are you waiting for? Grab the gun.” I picked up that gun and set it on the windowsill.

According to Leighton, this hunt won’t be forgotten.

Dad said the same thing he asked me when I shot my first deer. “Can you see the top of the feeder?” I whispered “yes” and then Mr. Glen said, “OK, then point your sight behind his shoulder and blast him.” I whispered, “My sights are on him.” He gave me a countdown “3, 2, 1…” BOOM! The deer ran off a little bit then dropped like a rock. I was so pumped. I wanted to go see it right away. Mr. Glen gave us an option. He said, “We can wait in this blind and see if anything else comes, or we can go see the buck.” Of course, I said, “Let’s go see the buck.” We walked over to see my trophy buck. I had the biggest smile on my face. We took pictures, talked about how pumped I was, then we put the buck in the truck bed. We arrived at camp and cleaned the buck. We went inside, ate some dinner, then watched the camera footage of me shooting the buck. They made the most perfect video ever. You could even see the bullet in the frames. We went to bed, and I still thought about the buck. We woke up the next morning and went for a drive to check out the feeders and see if some of the batteries were charged. We headed back to the camp, walked inside and caught the smell of fresh pancakes and peanut butter syrup. We sat down, ate breakfast then told the ranch owners, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, about the buck. We talked for about an hour and said thank you for everything, grabbed the meat and the head then we headed home. This is a day I will never forget!