British researchers are to investigate claims that sharks have unique cancer-fighting properties, it was announced yesterday.
The Scottish researchers plan to study an antibody found only in sharks.
The study will investigate if the substances can target breast cancer.
If successful it should lead to the development of new drugs – putting an end to the peddling of shark cartilage as a treatment for cancer.
Studies of shark cartilage have proved it does not help combat cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.
The researchers at Aberdeen University will be studying antibodies called IgNAR, rather than cartilage.
They say it may well stop molecules found on cancer cells, called HER2 and HER3.
Researcher Dr Helen Dooley said: “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. They can do this because their attachment region is very small
and so can fit into spaces that human antibodies cannot.
"This is only the first step in a very long process but if our hypothesis holds true we hope to develop new anti-cancer drugs based upon these unique shark antibodies.”
Lara Bennett, of the Association for International Cancer Research, which is backing the project, said: “We believe that funding research projects like Dr Helen Dooley’s is so important for the future development of more effective treatments to help patients who become resistant to drugs like Herceptin."
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