According to Australian scientists, antibodies found in shark blood could potentially be used to fight cancer.
Sharks have antibodies – molecules that fight disease – that are exceptionally adaptable, and tough. Researchers believe they can harness these attributes and use them to slow the spread of cancer.
They hope the idea can lead to a new line of drug treatments.
The team of researchers found that shark antibodies are capable of withstanding very acidic or alkaline conditions, and are resistant to high temperatures. This makes them capable of surviving in the human body, which is a necessity in creating a cancer fighting pill.
According to Professor Mick Foley of Melbourne’s La Trobe University, the shark molecules are able to attach themselves to cancer cells, and are able to stop the cancer from spreading.
“The cells actually grow less than where we don’t add a shark antibody or we add a completely irrelevant shark antibody,” Foley said.
“So this indicates the shark antibody that we have is binding to those cancer cells and for some reason causing them to grow more slowly and perhaps even killing them.”
The researchers chose sharks for the study because of their robust immune systems, and because of the similarities between the human immune system and the shark immune system.
Researchers already have evidence that the antibodies can slow the spread of breast cancer, but they are also hoping to use the antibodies to fight other diseases such as malaria and rheumatoid arthritis.
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