Study: Shark Liver Substance Potential Treat Hepatitis

Recent studies show, in the body of the shark antibiotic useful for treating diseases in humans. The substance found in malignant liver predators can be used to treat various diseases, including dengue fever, jaundice, until hepatitis B, C and D.

Called squalamin, antibiotics are proven safe as an anti-virus on the human body. "It's nice to know squalamin potential as antiviral, especially after studies showed benefits in humans," said Chairman of the Georgetown University researcher, Dr. Michael Zasloff in the Daily Mail.

From experiments on animals and research in labaratorium, the scientists found that squalamin produce antiviral role against the pathogen or disease in the human body that can not be cured today, such as hepatitis.

This discovery may be able to unravel the mystery of how a very primitive immunity in sharks may be effective against viruses that infect all living things. "I believe squalamin is one of the substances that protect sharks and some ancient marine vertebrate animals, such as the sea lamprey of the virus," says Zasloff.

Squalamin protect the body from viruses that attack the liver and blood tissues. Some substances that are similar in the shark's body also was found to protect the body from viral infections.

The scientists say it is possible to harness the body's immune system to foreign shark to cope with various diseases in humans. Zasloff said many antibacterials that appear, but the doctors have little antiviral to help patients.

Dr. Zasloff squalamin clinical trials began in 1995. He found that these substances inhibit the growth of blood vessels such as those found in the growth of tumors and some retinal diseases. When it enters the body, squalamin can only access certain cells, including those contained in the blood vessels and heart.

Dr. Zasloff claims that squalamin designed to fight certain viral infections. "Most viruses to spend hours to complete its life cycle, the same as the time needed to perform defense squalamin in tissues and organs of the body against viruses," says Zasloff.

He added that squalamin act quickly to block the virus from growing, and cleanses the body from these diseases in a matter of hours.

Studies on animals show squalamin control of yellow fever infection, virus in horses, and murine cytomegalovirus. In some cases, animals fed squalamin recovered from his illness. The study is published in the early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this weekend.