早在80年代初，中科院海洋所以李光友研究员为主的课题组，面对方兴未艾的中国对虾养殖业，即以科学工作者应有的远见，提出如何提高养殖虾贝的品质，如何通过提高养殖生物自身抗病能力而达到预防病害的目的。正是基于这种认识，在国际上未见无脊椎动物免疫成功的情况下，确立从提高虾贝的免疫功能人手，增强其自身抵抗各种病害的能力的新思路，并从某些养殖虾贝上开始了免疫防治探索试验。截止1989年，这个课题组已取得“甲壳动物类淋巴细胞（免疫细胞）结构的研究”、“对虾诱饵促生长剂”及“药物饵料的研制”等成果和论文，均发表在国内外有关刊物，或通过鉴定，或获国际、中科院等奖励。正是在前期研究奠定的基础上，该课题组承担了中科院“八五”重大项目——“水产增养殖农牧化技术研究”中“养殖虾贝的病害病因及防治技术研究”及“中国对虾病害的免疫防治研究”。他们不仅提前完成任务，且取得了突破性进展。于1993年10月13日，通过了由中科院组织的专家鉴定。

该项研究成果的关键所在，即是向海洋水产养殖界提供了一种极有实用价值的提高对虾免疫功能的口服免疫药物。

为探讨增强对虾的抗病能力，他们首先较深入地研究中国对虾免疫系统的结构、特点及免疫方式。如，应用化学发光法进行中国对虾细胞吞噬活性的定量测定；测定了中国对虾血淋巴中的抗菌、溶菌活力，类IgM因子和酚氧化酶活力：通过上两项研究初步确立了中国对虾免疫功能的定量测定指标。再如，用纸片法定量测定11种天然药物的提取物对主要致病菌之一的弧菌的体外抑制效果；对中国对虾注射外源刺激物，如大肠杆菌(E. coli D31)、海洋弧菌(Vibrio Sp．)和酵母聚糖(zymosan A)等：后两项研究证明某些天然药物可以提高中国对虾的免疫功能，对病原菌有抑制作用。这些研究为免疫药物的选择提供了依据；为免疫效果的衡量提供了较客观的指标。这是中国对虾免疫研究领域中开创性的研究成果，丰富了无脊椎动物免疫学的科学内容。

该项研究依据药物学、免疫学理论，借鉴高等动物免疫防治的最新成果，结合中国对虾养殖生态情况，设计荮物研制方案，并通过生产实践不断总结、不断改进。已系统地进行了口服免疫药物的筛选、制备、免疫效果和生产应用等工作。已总结出一套简便可行的生产工艺和研制出以海藻多糖、微生物脂多糖等主要成分的A，B，C，D等致种药物。该类药物为纯天然的多糖类活性物质。经对虾口服后的测定表明，可激活其免疫系统，提高各种抗病因子的活性及含量；保护对虾的肝胰脏，增强其解毒功能；并有明显的促生长、增重效果。自1992 - 1993年在山东省乳山市海阳所镇有关3个虾场的2 100亩试验和生产应用表明，基本未发生任何病害。特别在1 993年二、三季度暴发虾病的情况下，3个虾场均安然无恙，并且生长良好，获得丰收。生产应用的实践和成功的事实，进一步证实，由于免疫药、肝胰脏保护剂的作用，对虾增强了自身的免疫抗病能力及肝胰脏解毒功能，从群体水平上可以有效地抵御大规模流行性疾病。

与已有的对虾病害的防治研究相比，口服免疫药物技术有它的新特点。目前在国际对无脊椎动物、甲壳动物的免疫研究，多着重于基础，已取得相当多的研究成果，丰富和发展了无脊椎动物免疫学学科。但在如何防病治病方面尚无实质性的突破。在国内，多侧重于对虾病原生物学、发病症状及抗菌素或消毒剂治疗等方面的研究和探讨。由于对虾病害的病因复杂，目前大量使用药物尚存盲目性；还有一些化学药品有效面窄（对病毒性疾病无效），预防作用弱、有毒副作用、成本高等，不能彻底有效地解决虾病防治问题。同时，食用和接觖过各种药物的对虾，由于过多地积累某些有毒副作用的药品又可能转害于人体。等等。相比之下，中国对虾病害口服免疫药物，是天然多糖类活性物质，无毒副作用，具有疫苗和抗菌的双重作用，广谱而高效。在目前病因尚未阐明的情况下，通过增强对虾体质及自身抗病能力来抵御疾病，可以说是一条根本有效的途径。

根据使用国际联机数据库检索结果，未查出对虾类病害口服免疫药物防治研究的报道。为此，中科院海洋研究所所研制的多糖类对虾口服免疫药物，具国际先进水平。

The in vitro inhibitory effect of eleven natural drugs on the Vibrio sp. was determined quantitatively. The results showed that five of them were very effective on Vibrio, better than most antibiotics, and could be applied in prawn culture as highly efficient and nontoxic antimicrobic drugs.

From April to September, 1991, the method of single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) was applied to measure the haemolymph factors in prawns of different body conditions. Wild parent prawns and cultured prawns were used to measure the activity and study the properties of phenoloxidase (PO). After several natural drugs were taken orally by cultured prawns, their haemolymph factors and PO activity were measured by the SRID method and improved enzymatic method respectively. The results showed that IgM-like substances existed in the haemolymph, and that PO existed in haemocytes in the form of proenzyme and also exhibited activity in the normal serum of prawns. The SRID determination of IgM-like substances and the measurement of PO activity may be used as reference comparison with the immuno function of prawns. The immune system of P. chinensis could be activated by immuno drugs taken orally.

The antibacterial, bacteriolytic and PO activities in the haemolymph of wild parent prawns were measured in April, 1992. Study of the pattern of these activities after stimulation or infection by E. coli, Vibrio sp. and zymosan A showed that the antibacterial and bacteriolytic activities were related to the increation or decreation of the immune function of prawns and may be used as quantitative criteria for studying the body condition, disease-resisting mechanism of the prawn, and the pharmacodynamics of immuno drugs.

The enlarged experiment on immunization to prawns by complex oral immune drugs was carried from August to September, 1992 and from June to September, 1993. The growth speed and the incidence of diseases were determined on the spot, and the antibacterial, bacteriolytic and PO activities were measured in the laboratory. All these proved that the oral immuno drugs could be widely applied in prawn culture, preventing and controlling the diseases of prawns and enhance their growth.

The immuno potency of prawns can be increased by immunological methods to prevent and control diseases with high efficiency.