Antibodies in Blood Sharks Claimed It Could Tame Breast Cancer

Antibodies in Blood Sharks Claimed It Could Tame Breast Cancer

Not all drugs for cancer is effective and can actually kill cancer cells that grow in one's body . Resistance is indeed one thorny issue facing the medical world in the face of cancer . Alternatively , researchers plan to make the cancer drug made ​​from shark antibodies .

In the last 10 years , the most effective drugs that claimed to cure cancer patients was none other than Herceptin . But in fact these drugs can not tame all types of breast cancer . If cured , usually only a moment and soon the cancer recurrence , so that the scientists felt the need to develop new treatments .

" The drug Herceptin remarkable woman but some patients may not respond to these drugs , and some patients are resistant to some other even longer , " said researcher Dr. Helen Dooley from the School of Biological Sciences , University of Aberdeen , UK .

Alternatively , researchers tried to examine the content of antibodies in shark said to be one of the animals with the strongest immune system in the face of the earth . Incidentally this predatory fish have a unique antibody that is in the blood , called IgNAR . By studying these antibodies researchers are expected to develop new drugs to fight breast cancer .

For the purposes of this study , researchers used a group of nurse shark ( Ginglymostoma cirratum ) in an aquarium in Baltimore and blood samples sent to the lab of Dr. . Dooley in Aberdeen for analysis . Blood samples were taken from the tail of the shark and Dr. . Dooley deliberately chose a nurse shark because its characteristics are gentle and benign .

The focus of their research is that two molecules of HER2 and HER3 were found on the surface of cancer cells . As long as it is also known, HER2 molecule with very high levels are always found on the surface of cancer cells are breast cancer HER2 - positive . Moreover, if HER2 and HER3 are paired , then they can provide signals to the cancer cells to grow and divide .

IgNAR antibodies contained in the blood shark claimed could be used to inhibit both these molecules transmit these signals . " Interestingly , this tends IgNAR antibody bound to the target as well as viruses and parasites , but in a different way from existing antibodies in the human body , " said Dr. . Dooley , who led the study .

" Equally important , they can do this because the area of attachment ( attachment region ) they are so small that they can shrink and fit into spaces that could not be penetrated other human antibodies , " he said as quoted by the Telegraph , Friday ( 27 / 9/2013 ) .

Researchers have also proven to develop the HER2 protein derived from the tumor surface and injecting it into the body of a shark , in order to stimulate the production of antibodies against the tumor IgNAR . But the result is not yet published .

Research funded by 200,000 pounds (about USD 3.7 billion ) by the Association for International Cancer Research ( AICR ) is planned to last for three years .

" With funding from AICR we can begin to explore the potential IgNAR as new breast cancer drugs in the future . Though it took a very long process but if our hypothesis is correct , we expect to develop new anti-cancer drugs based on antibodies the shark , " closed Dr. . Dooley .