Shark blood might have possible treatment for breast cancer, Scottish researchers say.
A type of antibody found in the blood of sharks can cure breast cancer. The antibody igNaR found only in sharks can delay the cancerous tumor growth, reported CBS News .
"IgNAR antibodies are interesting because they bind to targets, such as viruses or parasites, in a very different way to the antibodies found in humans," researcher Dr Helen Dooley explained in a statement to the Association for International Cancer Research.
University of Aberdeen, Scotland, researchers received a $320,000 grant from the Association for International Cancer Research to study shark antibodies for three years. They said they will focus basically on the compounds in sharks' blood and delve further into their composition to see how they can be used to prevent cancer.
For the study, the researchers will examine IgNAR. They will use it to target cancers that produce excess HER2 and HER3 proteins. "We believe we can exploit the novel binding of IgNAR and use it to stop HER2 and HER3 molecules from working, and prompting cancer cells to grow and divide," Dr Dooley explained.
The researchers said that such treatment would be useful for patients who have become immune to other types of treatments.
This type of treatment could be especially beneficial to patients who have developed a resistance to other kinds of treatments.
A recent study states that girls who include peanut butter in their diet in their adolescent years have improved breast life in future.
