Dr. LeBeau on the Potential Applicability of Shark Antibodies in Prostate Cancer

Aaron LeBeau, PhD, associate professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, discusses the potential applicability of shark antibodies in developing imaging and therapeutic strategies in prostate cancer.

Shark antibodies were discovered decades ago, but little research has been done to assess their potential utility in the treatment of patients with cancer, LeBeau says. However, research is being done investigating antibody-like proteins called variable domain of new antigen receptor (VNAR) proteins, which could become a novel way to image or manage prostate cancer.

Shark antibodies are small proteins that can be directed toward specific targets, LeBeau explains. Additionally, they can be mass produced in a cost-effective way. The molecules are stable, robust, and can withstand extreme circumstances, such as being boiled, in ways human antibodies cannot while still retaining the ability to bind to targets, LeBeau says. As such, shark VNAR–based therapies could offer a drug to patients with cancer globally without the need for deep freezing or potentially even refrigeration, LeBeau concludes.