Marine-Derived Pharmaceuticals - Challenges and Opportunities

Overview

Journal Biomol Ther (Seoul)

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2016 Nov 1

PMID 27795450

Citations 71

Authors

Ulrike Lindequist

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Marine biosphere is the largest one of the earth and harbors an enormous number of different organisms. Living conditions differ fundamentally from those in terrestrial environment. The production of specific secondary metabolites is an important adaption mechanism of marine organisms to survive in the sea. These metabolites possess biological activities which make them interesting as possible drugs for human. The review presents sources, chemistry, production and pharmacology of FDA approved marine derived pharmaceuticals arranged according to their therapeutic indication. Four of the presently seven approved drugs are used for the treatment of cancer. Each another one is applicated for treatment of viral diseases, chronic pain and to lower triglyceride level in blood. Some other products are of interest in diagnostic and as experimental tools. Besides, this article describes challenges in drug development from marine sources, especially the supply problem.

Citing Articles

Advanced Technologies for Large Scale Supply of Marine Drugs.

Martinez H, Santos M, Pedraza L, Testera A Mar Drugs. 2025; 23(2).

PMID: 39997193 PMC: 11857447. DOI: 10.3390/md23020069.

Exploring Antibacterial Properties of Marine Sponge-Derived Natural Compounds: A Systematic Review.

Martignago C, de Souza Barbosa C, Garcia Motta H, Soares-Silva B, Maso Lopes Peres E, Souza E Silva L Mar Drugs. 2025; 23(1).

PMID: 39852545 PMC: 11766522. DOI: 10.3390/md23010043.

Chitosan nanoencapsulation of Turbinaria triquetra metabolites in the management of podocyturia in nephrotoxic rats.

Abdel-Aal A, F A, El-Khayat Z, Mohamed N, Rostom M, Tolba E Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):631.

PMID: 39753630 PMC: 11698862. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-82463-y.

Beyond Earth: Harnessing Marine Resources for Sustainable Space Colonization.

Lemos M Mar Drugs. 2024; 22(11).

PMID: 39590761 PMC: 11595546. DOI: 10.3390/md22110481.

Harnessing genomic technologies for one health solutions in the tropics.

Calcino A, Cooke I, Cowman P, Higgie M, Massault C, Schmitz U Global Health. 2024; 20(1):78.

PMID: 39543642 PMC: 11566161. DOI: 10.1186/s12992-024-01083-3.

References

Harris J, Markl J . Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH): a biomedical review. Micron. 1999; 30(6):597-623. DOI: 10.1016/s0968-4328(99)00036-0. View

Luesch H, Moore R, Paul V, Mooberry S, Corbett T . Isolation of dolastatin 10 from the marine cyanobacterium Symploca species VP642 and total stereochemistry and biological evaluation of its analogue symplostatin 1. J Nat Prod. 2001; 64(7):907-10. DOI: 10.1021/np010049y. View

Terlau H, Olivera B . Conus venoms: a rich source of novel ion channel-targeted peptides. Physiol Rev. 2004; 84(1):41-68. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00020.2003. View

Newman D, Cragg G . Marine natural products and related compounds in clinical and advanced preclinical trials. J Nat Prod. 2004; 67(8):1216-38. DOI: 10.1021/np040031y. View

Miljanich G . Ziconotide: neuronal calcium channel blocker for treating severe chronic pain. Curr Med Chem. 2004; 11(23):3029-40. DOI: 10.2174/0929867043363884. View

Li X, Qin L . Metagenomics-based drug discovery and marine microbial diversity. Trends Biotechnol. 2005; 23(11):539-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2005.08.006. View

Brandon E, Sparidans R, Guijt K, Lowenthal S, Meijerman I, Beijnen J . In vitro characterization of the human biotransformation and CYP reaction phenotype of ET-743 (Yondelis, Trabectidin), a novel marine anti-cancer drug. Invest New Drugs. 2005; 24(1):3-14. DOI: 10.1007/s10637-005-4538-9. View

Doronina S, Mendelsohn B, Bovee T, Cerveny C, Alley S, Meyer D . Enhanced activity of monomethylauristatin F through monoclonal antibody delivery: effects of linker technology on efficacy and toxicity. Bioconjug Chem. 2006; 17(1):114-24. DOI: 10.1021/bc0502917. View

Kung Sutherland M, Sanderson R, Gordon K, Andreyka J, Cerveny C, Yu C . Lysosomal trafficking and cysteine protease metabolism confer target-specific cytotoxicity by peptide-linked anti-CD30-auristatin conjugates. J Biol Chem. 2006; 281(15):10540-7. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M510026200. View

10.

Schweder T, Lindequist U, Lalk M . Screening for new metabolites from marine microorganisms. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2006; 96:1-48. DOI: 10.1007/b135781. View

11.

Klotz U . Ziconotide--a novel neuron-specific calcium channel blocker for the intrathecal treatment of severe chronic pain--a short review. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2006; 44(10):478-83. DOI: 10.5414/cpp44478. View

12.

Mocz G . Fluorescent proteins and their use in marine biosciences, biotechnology, and proteomics. Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2007; 9(3):305-28. DOI: 10.1007/s10126-006-7145-7. View

13.

Fenical W, Jensen P, Palladino M, Lam K, Lloyd G, Potts B . Discovery and development of the anticancer agent salinosporamide A (NPI-0052). Bioorg Med Chem. 2008; 17(6):2175-80. PMC: 2814440. DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2008.10.075. View

14.

Skropeta D . Deep-sea natural products. Nat Prod Rep. 2008; 25(6):1131-66. DOI: 10.1039/b808743a. View

15.

Molinski T, Dalisay D, Lievens S, Saludes J . Drug development from marine natural products. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2008; 8(1):69-85. DOI: 10.1038/nrd2487. View

16.

Cuevas C, Francesch A . Development of Yondelis (trabectedin, ET-743). A semisynthetic process solves the supply problem. Nat Prod Rep. 2009; 26(3):322-37. DOI: 10.1039/b808331m. View

17.

Wu C . Palytoxin: membrane mechanisms of action. Toxicon. 2009; 54(8):1183-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.02.030. View

18.

Gross H . Genomic mining--a concept for the discovery of new bioactive natural products. Curr Opin Drug Discov Devel. 2009; 12(2):207-19. View

19.

Bogdanov A, Mishin A, Yampolsky I, Belousov V, Chudakov D, Subach F . Green fluorescent proteins are light-induced electron donors. Nat Chem Biol. 2009; 5(7):459-61. PMC: 2784199. DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.174. View

20.

Shimomura O . Discovery of green fluorescent protein (GFP) (Nobel Lecture). Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2009; 48(31):5590-602. DOI: 10.1002/anie.200902240. View