A new study is looking to help target breast cancer
Antibodies found in sharks could be used to target breast cancer.
AICR, the Scottish cancer research charity, has awarded biologists from the University of Aberdeen a grant of over £200,000 to analyse if IgNAR – a special antibody found only in sharks – can be used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
The three-year study will look at two molecules - called HER2 and HER3 - found on the surface of cancer cells. When these molecules pair-up on the surface of a cancer cell, they signal it to grow and divide.
The study will investigate if shark IgNAR antibodies can be used to stop these two molecules from working and sending this signal.The research could pave the way for the development of new drugs to fight breast cancer in the future.
Around one in four women with breast cancer have a type referred to as HER2-positive breast cancer, where a very high level of HER2 is found on the surface of cancer cells. HER2-positive breast cancer can be successfully treated with drugs however resistance to treatment is an increasing problem.
Dr Helen Dooley, from the University of Aberdeen’s School of Biological Sciences who is leading the study, said: “Our work centres on a type of antibody, called IgNAR, which is uniquely found in the blood of sharks.
“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.
“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.
“With the funding from AICR we can begin to explore the potential of IgNAR as a future treatment for breast cancer. 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, AICR’s Science Communication Manager 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.”
Whilst breast cancer is still the most common cancer in the UK, more than 85 out of every 100 people diagnosed with breast cancer do live for at least five years after diagnosis and more than 75 out of every 100 people live for at least 10 years.
Dr Caitlin Palframan, Head of Policy at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says: “Breast cancer is not a done deal and we need to keep developing new treatments for the disease. We look forward to seeing the results of this research in the future as, although it is a very effective drug, Herceptin sometimes does not work or can stop working over time, so we’re in need of drugs that can complement it.
“Research is making great strides in the way we’re able to diagnose and treat breast cancer. However, there’s little point in developing new treatments if we can’t ensure that they actually reach patients. Recently the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) ruled that Perjeta, an effective drug also designed to complement Herceptin, was too expensive to be recommended for routine use on the NHS. This was the second highly promising breast cancer drug to be rejected on the basis of cost in a month, and current efforts to reform the system of access to drugs don’t address this fundamental issue of price.
“We urge Government and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to put a system in place which actually means that new effective treatments are made routinely available on the NHS at a reasonable price, and are guaranteed to reach the people they are meant to help.”
Tagged in Breast Cancer Health Women's Health