Sharks, good for you good for me

The Shark, one of the scariest creatures of the ocean, may have more for humans than just a good movie idea, or teeth for a necklace. Over the last decade or so the shark has been a topic of controversy, whether or not its cartilage that can be found in the cartilaginous endoskeleton (which is six to eight percent of the sharks gross weight) can help treat degenerative problems in human beings. The studies and tests that various scientists and agencies have run so far have been centered around treating cancer, arthritis and psoriasis. The treatment of such problems stems from a process in the human body called angiogenesis opposed to shark cartilage that has anti-angiogenic qualities. Tests have mainly been with the use of a solid dosage brand called Cartilade. It still is unknown whether shark cartilage has any effect on the previously mentioned problems with the human body and further tests need to be run to advance our knowledge of this hopeful medical break through.
The studies that have been run so far have been enlightening to the mysteries of shark cartilage on degenerative problems in the body, but nothing has been definite or conclusive up until this point. The earliest studies with shark cartilage were with dogs who had joint fractures, hip dysplasia, joint dislocation, spondylopathy and broken down cruciate ligaments. Dr. Rauis who has researched the affects of shark cartilage on arthritis in animals, with the use of Cartilade, presented his findings to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress in 1991. These findings were beneficial with the 10 dogs he tested Cartilade on. Reductions in local swelling and inflammation of joints were noted. Rauis describe the results as impressive and stated that Cartilade appeared to be safe for canine osteoarthritis.
Once results were released about the canine trails, human trails were the next logical step in research surrounding shark cartilage and arthritis. Dr. I.W Lane conducted tests with six human patients and Cartilade and found that the three patients who used the supplement on a constant basis (nine grams for the first four weeks and 4.5 grams for the next four weeks) had a 50 percentage drop in pain. While two who used the supplement on a less frequent basis had a decrease in pain while exercising. The last patient had no decrease in any of the tested areas. Scientists later found that shark cartilage had anti-angiogenic qualities that are used in tests that have to do with treating cancer. Due to the apparent success of the animal and human trials with Cartilade and arthritis, cancer seemed the next logical step for research. One of the early tests took place in Mexico by Dr. Comac, where eight patients, ages ranging from 32 to 62, all with advanced malignancies were administered with daily doses of Cartilade. Six of the seven patients by the end of the 11th week had reduction in tumor size, while the seventh patients research was terminated when no positive tumor response was noted.
Dr. Lietner at St.Barnabas Hospital in New Jersey carried out further tests with similar guidelines, once again with the aide of Cartilade. The patients in theses series of testing had prostate or breast cancer and had no positive feedback from conventional treatment. The results of these tests were and overall failure, seeing as no improvement was noted, however the researchers requested to continue administering Cartilade to patients who felt they had benefited. A test carried out by the Cancer Treatment Research Foundation in cooperation with the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Cartilage Technologies (whom have studied the efficacy and safety of shark cartilage in the treatment of such advanced cancers as breast, colon, lung and prostate) found similar results to that of the tests carried out in St.Barnabas. No measurable benefits, both in quality of life and tumor size in treatment were observed. However two patients showed an improvement in quality of life defined by a quantitative scale. Further facts were released around the trails that one in five patients had disease stabilization. It should be noted that all trails to date have been with advanced cases of terminal cancer and with patients who have failed conventional treatment. It has been shown that no succinct and concrete evidence from long-term tests have been given and the only way we will know if shark cartilage affects arthritis and tumor growth is with further research into the area.
To fully understand how cancer is treated with shark cartilage, a deeper comprehension must be obtained. Angiogenesis is the process of breaking down blood vessels and the recreation of new blood vessels, this is directly related to tumors because they need fresh blood to grow, so they go through angiogenesis to produce more blood vessels as they grow. The main enzyme that contributes to this process is matrix metalloproteinase’s (MMP). It has been found that shark cartilage contains powerful inhibitors of MMP’s and effectively blocks the growth of new blood vessels. These inhibitors are an extract from the cartilage labeled CarTCell, which is manufactured in liquid form. Dr. Judah Folkman is credited to be one of the first who proposed that angiogenesis is very important in disease causation. His work has made way for anti-angiogenesis work in cases of arthritis and cancer. Shark cartilage has been administered in a variety of ways but is mostly ingested through a powder named Cartilade, a brand that specializes in shark cartilage production. Cartilade is the only brand, save CarTCell, to date that is FDA approved for testing. Dr Lane has stated that every case that has been treated with shark cartilage has been different but a set of guidelines has been established to observe whether or not the dosage of Cartilade is working or not. “Generally, by the fourth to sixth week, one begins to get a feeling of well-being and experiences an improvement in quality of life. This happens in almost all cases. By the eighth to 10th week, there is almost always a mitigation of any pain that was present, especially in cases involving bone cancer. Hopefully, by the 12th week, changes begin to occur within the tumor itself as well as in any applicable blood tumor markers like PSA in prostate cancers. Also, at this time, we often encounter tumor encapsulation and tumor death." Although shark cartilage is available in a variety of formulas most of these are suspect and are less frequently used scientifically and in mainstream markets. More recently a Canadian laboratory has stated they can now extract hydrosouluble shark cartilage through a patented procedure that is much more concentrated both in vivo and in vitro.
To further understand what is happening in the body while ingesting shark cartilage, it is helpful to talk about the cartilage itself. The components of 100 percent pure shark cartilage include roughly 50 percent minerals with 60 percent of that calcium and phosphorus salts in a 2:1 ratio. 35 percent protein, 8 percent carbohydrates, 7 percent water and less than 1 percent of fat. To make suitable cartilage used for tests and public consumption, fresh shark cartilage can be dried, pulverized and sterilized. The proteins are believed to be the leading factor in the anti-angiogenic qualities of shark cartilage. Shark cartilage also is a rich source of chondroitin and glycoaminoglycans, both of which have anti-inflammatory qualities. There has been no argument with the finding that several proteins of shark cartilage exert potent anti-angiogenic activity, and no doubt that shark cartilage is nutritional support for bone and joint function. However the qualms lie with the premature claims from manufacturers that it effectively treats cancer, where no definite evidence has been shown to date. It is interesting to note that young sharks grow quite well considering a protein that stunts tumor growth is prevalent. The way this happens is because the proteins in the sharks cartilage targets the corkscrew blood vessels of tumors and not the tree root looking blood vessels of organs. (2,3)
Whether the hype around shark cartilage is stable enough to stand on is still yet to be seen, but with extended research and committed scientists, breakthroughs are sure to be made with this medical phenomenon. At least now that you have learned about the studies made, how the treatments occur and what shark cartilage is made of its possible that an educated guess may be made to whether or not this is the real thing or not. All we do know is the scientific community is on the edge of its seat to see what happens next.