Shark cartilage

Shark cartilage comes from the skeletal tissues of sharks caught mostly in the Pacific Ocean. Shark cartilage is also known as AE-941, Cartilage de Requin, Cartilago de Tiburon, Collagène Marin, Extrait de Cartilage de Requin, Liquide de Cartilage Marin, Marine Collagen, Marine Liquid Cartilage, Neovastat, Poudre de Cartilage de Requin, Sphyrna lewini, Squalus acanthias, and other names.

Shark cartilage has also been used to treat cancer. However, research has shown that shark cartilage is not likely to be effective in treating advanced cancer.

Other uses not proven with research have included treating osteoarthritis, Kaposi's sarcoma, psoriasis, macular degeneration (age-related vision loss), and other conditions.

A specific product (Neovastat) containing shark cartilage extract prolonged survival time in some people with kidney cancer.

It is not certain whether shark cartilage is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA. Shark cartilage should not be used in place of medication prescribed for you by your doctor.

Shark cartilage is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

Shark cartilage may also be used for purposes not listed in this product guide.

Follow all directions on the product label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

Ask a doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider if it is safe for you to use this product if you have:

• high levels of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia).

It is not known whether shark cartilage will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this product without medical advice if you are pregnant.

It is not known whether shark cartilage passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this product without medical advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without medical advice.

Avoid taking shark cartilage with a vitamin or mineral supplement that contains calcium.

Fruit juices that are acidic (orange, apple, grape, or tomato juices) can affect the potency of shark cartilage when mixed together. If you add shark cartilage to any of these juices, drink it right away. Do not save the mixture for later use.

Do not take shark cartilage without medical advice if you are using any of the following medications:

• drugs that weaken the immune system such as cancer medicine, steroids, and medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with shark cartilage, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this product guide.

Shark cartilage comes from the skeletal tissues of sharks caught mostly in the Pacific Ocean. Shark cartilage is also known as AE-941, Cartilage de Requin, Cartilago de Tiburon, Collagène Marin, Extrait de Cartilage de Requin, Liquide de Cartilage Marin, Marine Collagen, Marine Liquid Cartilage, Neovastat, Poudre de Cartilage de Requin, Sphyrna lewini, Squalus acanthias, and other names.

Shark cartilage has also been used to treat cancer. However, research has shown that shark cartilage is not likely to be effective in treating advanced cancer.

Other uses not proven with research have included treating osteoarthritis, Kaposi's sarcoma, psoriasis, macular degeneration (age-related vision loss), and other conditions.

A specific product (Neovastat) containing shark cartilage extract prolonged survival time in some people with kidney cancer.

It is not certain whether shark cartilage is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA. Shark cartilage should not be used in place of medication prescribed for you by your doctor.

Shark cartilage is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

Shark cartilage may also be used for purposes not listed in this product guide.

Follow all directions on the product label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra shark cartilage to make up the missed dose.

Do not take shark cartilage without medical advice if you are using any of the following medications:

• drugs that weaken the immune system such as cancer medicine, steroids, and medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with shark cartilage, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this product guide.

Many claims have been made that shark cartilage can cure cancer. The rationale includes the fact that sharks rarely get cancer, that sharks are cartilaginous fish and that cartilage is avascular and contains agents that inhibit vascularization (angiogenesis). The reasoning then follows that sharks do not get cancer because the inhibited vascularization prevents the formation of tumors; hence, giving it to humans may inhibit tumor angiogenesis and thus cure cancer. 1

Research reveals no animal data regarding the use of shark derivatives for cancer.

In late 1992, incomplete and since nonreplicated clinical studies (unpublished) in Havana, Cuba, purported to show some progress in terminally ill cancer patients. The National Cancer Institute reviewed these studies and decided against researching shark cartilage. 1 Recently, however, the FDA granted an IND application for a shark cartilage product, Benefin , by Lane Labs-USA, Inc. to investigate benefits in prostate cancer and AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma. 6

Certainly, future work should continue to focus on the isolation of the responsible proteins or small molecules. The tetranectin-like protein from the reef shark is important since, in man, tetranectin enhances plasminogen activation catalyzed by the tissue plasminogen activator. It may also play a role in cancer metastasis.

Research along these lines by Moore et al 5 has demonstrated the presence of a broad-spectrum aminosterol antibiotic in the dogfish shark which they named squalamine. It shows significant bactericidal activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. It is also fungicidal and induces activity against protozoa. 5 This discovery implicates a unique steroid acting as a potential host-defense agent in vertebrates and provides for a new family broad-spectrum antibiotics.

A standardized shark cartilage product has been marketed under the name Neovastat (AE-941). Clinical trials in cancer angiogenesis have used doses of 60 to 240 mL daily, while another trial of a liquid shark cartilage product used only 7 to 21 mL daily. 7 , 8