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A surprising number of drugs come from nature. Most of these were discovered in creatures from the land, but increasingly researchers are looking to the ocean for new cures. According to Dr. William Fenical, a natural products chemist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA, the ocean could be " the major source of drugs for the next decade."
Coral reefs are especially interesting to researchers looking for new medicines. Their high biodiversity makes them a treasure trove of pharmaceutical prospects. Many reef inhabitants, i.e sponges, bryozoans, sea hares and tunicates, cannot move to escape from predators and instead discourage them with chemical defense compounds. Other organisms make venoms to stun or kill prey or use various chemicals to communicate. Some of these chemicals may be good candidates for drug development. For example...
Painkillers from Cone Snails (Conus magus)
The venom of this marine snail contains many different neurotoxins. Cone snails use their venom to paralyze, stun, or sedate their prey.  | This cone snail prepares to paralyze its victim
Photo courtesy of Rokus Groeneveld |
Scientists were able to isolate one of these toxins to create a powerful painkiller now sold under the trade name Prialt(TM). The drug works by blocking neurotransmitters in the spinal cord, preventing the pain signal from reaching the brain. OGL is now collaborating with one of the discoverers of this drug, Dr Baldomero (Toto) Olivera in an exciting drug discovery project in the Philippines.
Antivirals from Sponges (Cryptotethya crypta)  | |
Cryptotethya crypta
Photo courtesy of Peter Szotkowski
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Did you know that some of the earliest successful antiviral compounds were inspired by bacteria and fungi found on sponges? Adenine arabinoside (Ara-A), cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C), and azidothymidine (AZT), used in the treatment of Herpes simplex, Leukemia and HIV/AIDS all came from the same Caribbean sponge.
Bone Scaffolding from Corals (gr. Goniopora)
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Colony of Goniopera polypsPhoto by Charlie Veron
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Even dead organisms can be used in modern medicine!
A number of coral genera, including Porites,Goniopora, and Alveopora, are similar in structure human bone, and have been successfully used as scaffolding for bone grafts.
The Future of Marine Medicines
Making drugs from marine organisms can have its downside too. Most scientists agree that harvesting corals by the ton is not a good way to make drugs. Fortunately scientists are now finding ways to search for drugs in the DNA of marine organisms so that they can be produced synthetically in the lab. With this approach, only a tiny amount of animal tissue is needed and there is little risk of harm to the coral reefs. OGL is helping to promote this kind of research by helping scientists share DNA samples from this precious resource and so keeping sampling to a minimum.
***Want to learn more?***
The Oceanic Cornucopia: An article on a variety of oceanic species and the medicinal resources they provide.
Drugs From Nature, Then and Now: Find out how pharmacological research has changed over the years to provide new and innovative ways of creating medicines from nature. Coral Reef Medicines Find out about what impact bioprospecting is having on coral reefs. Marine Organisms as a Source of New Anticancer Agents The title says it all! | 
