Scientists in Australia have found a way in which shark antibodies can be used to treat a wide range of diseases from malaria through to arthritis and even cancer.
Associate Professor Mick Foley and his colleague Dr Stewart Nuttall from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia have developed a technique where the shark genes can be modified to develop antibodies capable of ‘fighting’ a whole spectrum of ailments.
Sharks have over 100 million antibodies that are amongst the smallest in the animal kingdom.
They are also far more biologically stable than human ones. This means that they can also be used to develop oral treatments rather than ones that need to be injected as they can withstand the extremes of the human digestive system.
By using shark genes and putting them into a genetic vector together with random proteins, the scientists have managed to manipulate the genetic material to produce antibodies to a wide range of ailments; in effect creating a ‘library’ of potential new therapies in a test tube.
