Beachgoers descend upon the Jersey Shore as the days get hotter and the ocean water gets warmer. The breezy salty air and the crisp ocean waves are an inviting way to stay cool during the summer months.
It is difficult to enter the surf without considering the possibility of encountering one of the ocean’s apex predators. The media likes sensationalizing shark activity because people are equally fearful and fascinated with sharks. However, the increased coverage of shark activity is warranted, and New Jersey is experiencing a resurgence of these majestic sea creatures. Climate change has caused water temperatures to rise, and as a result, many shark species have expanded their range up the Atlantic Coast. The warmer water is more nutrient-dense, which attracts the fish that the sharks feed on.
The oceans have also experienced a comeback; fish and seal populations have been revived, so there is more prey for the ancient marine beings to feed on. As our ecosystems get healthier, the sharks are also thriving.
Although sharks might make you think twice before you enter the water this summer, you should know that sharks hold the secrets to life-saving options for patients with metastatic cancers. Usually, by the time cancers have spread, finding a cure is rare, but sharks might be the ones coming to our rescue.
Professor Aaron LaBeau, a University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center researcher, has been working with sharks to identify which shark antibodies can be engineered to attack human cancer cells. Once LaBeau and his team identify good matches, the shark antibodies can be programmed to deliver precision treatment. His team carefully catalogs their findings and tries to match different antibodies with different types of cancer cells to find the most effective combinations.
Shark antibodies offer hopeful treatment options for prostate, breast, and lung cancers that have
spread throughout the body. LeBeau’s research is exciting and promising; he hopes to have this research ready for clinical trials within the next five years.
The next time you head to the Jersey Shore, take a moment to appreciate the potential of sharks. Rather than lamenting the increased shark activity, welcome it because their survival is inextricably linked
with our own. Instead of fearing the inevitable music that plays in your head, “duunnn, dunn…duuuunnn, duun,” think of the possibilities.
Conservation efforts must continue in tandem with biomedicaladvancements to ensure that shark populations are sustained and their ecological roles preserved. As we enjoy the Jersey summers, remember the sharks beneath the waves and the hope they carry within their ancient lines of evolution.
If you’re still nervous when entering the ocean, you can take some precautions. Always swim at guarded beaches, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk when sharks
feed, and do not wear flashy jewelry in the ocean because it mimics the flashing white of a fish’s underbelly in dark water. Shark attacks are rare, but respect these beautiful marine animals because they just might hold the secret to some of humanity’s worst diseases.
