Bioprospecting Into the Ocean Deep: Looking For Marine-Derived Medicines, Skin Creams, and Along the Way a Sunburn Protection Pill!

Therapies of the future are now taking on an interesting turn – the ocean is now the most promising frontier for tackling human diseases as a natural source for developing new pharmaceutical drugs. In addition to the fact that the ocean covers 74% of the planet’s surface – it supports the greatest diversity of life on Earth – many of them adapted to extreme environments of pitch black darkness and pressure levels that would kill a human being. And it turns out that marine invertebrates (animals without backbones) produce more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory substances than any group of organisms on land. Many of them have evolved an arsenal of unique chemical compounds that help them survive in their ocean environment. Below are a few examples of marine organisms doing just that – enhancing our understanding of basic biochemical and physiological processes.

ALGAE – is being looked at for developing anti-inflammatory and anti-neurodegenerative compounds to treat HIV, Arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. SEAWEED (Marine Algae) have various levels of antioxidants which can be isolated and used as food supplements or as part of medical treatments for several conditions including coronary heart disease and cancer. A chemically derived compound known as Kainic acid taken from red algae off the coast of Japan and Taiwan is now being used as an anti-worming agent and being looked at to treat Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. It is also being used as a diagnostic chemical to investigate Huntington’s disease. Sea algae is also being used to create skin creams that promise to boost moisture levels and firm and protect against premature aging i.e. red marine algae, brown algae, and green algae as seen in many beauty product collections.

CONE SNAILS – produce a venom (neurotoxins) that paralyze and kill prey. A chemically- derived medication named “Prialt” is now being used as a powerful pain-killer in AIDS and cancer patients. It is 1000 times more potent than morphine.

CORAL REEFS – One species called ‘Sea whips’ produces substances called ‘Pseudopterosins” that reduce swelling and skin irritation and accelerate wound healing. Two other species of coral that already supply cancer medicine are the Coral ‘Sarcodictyon roseum’ found at a depth of 100 meters in the Mediterranean and the shallow-water ‘Eleutherobia’ species found in western Australia. Another species of coral found near the Bahamas has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties which is now in use in a commercial skin-care product to defeat allergic responses in the skin. And Kings College London is in the process of developing a tablet to prevent sunburn derived from the coral reef’s own chemical compound which they plan to market in two years time.

HORSEHOE CRABS – Its blood is used to test intravenous drugs and implants/prosthetics for endotoxins – byproducts of bacterial contamination.

SEA SPONGES – The first marine-derived cancer drug ever developed – now known as “Cytosar-U” and used to treat leukemia and lymphoma – was acquired from a species of Caribbean sponges. Another sponge species currently being looked at produces an anti-inflammatory chemical, “Topsentin” which may be helpful in treating diseases like arthritis – a Pacific sponge now being tested may provide potential treatment for asthmatics – and another has antiviral properties which is already being used in the AZT treatment of Aids patients.

SEA URCHINS – provide models for understanding human biology – they are specifically used to demonstrate fertilization and embryo development.

TOADFISH – Blessed with the fastest twitching muscles in the vertebrate world, the toadfish can vibrate its swim bladder muscle an astounding 200 times per second – scientists are hoping to find medicines that will help to treat human muscles of all kinds i.e. heart disease and nerve regeneration.

TUNICATES/SEA SQUIRTS – One tunicate species that lives out in the West Indies coral reefs produces a chemical “Ecteinascidin” which is now being tested in humans for treatment of breast and ovarian cancers and other solid tumors.

Time will only tell whether or not other sea creatures such as sharks, jellyfish, squids, octopuses and cuttlefishes will be the pharmaceutical-sponsored remedies of the future in today’s scientifically-monitored, FDA-approved world.