293 

 PHARMA-SEA 



Researchers at Scxipps Institution of Oceanography are leading the way in the 

 discovery of new pharmaceuticals from the sea. Therapeutic drugs have been 

 isolated from a number of marine invertebrates and bacteria, and several products 

 are in various stages of the patent process. For example, the study of squids has 

 shown how the human nervous system works and resulted in new drugs for 

 epilepsy. One of the SIO researchers. Bill Fenical, states: 'The land search for new 

 antibiotics has reached a point of diminishing returns." Terrestrial sources alone 

 can no longer provide the needed discoveries. One reason why sea creatures are 

 good sources of anti-disease compounds is that they have elaborate chemicail 

 arsenals to protect themselves from predators. 



Researchers at Scripps are participating in a cooperative program to develop new 

 anti-cancer agents from marine resources. A recently isolated marine plant with a 

 remarkable diversity of physiological and biochemical features is being screened for 

 biotechnological uses. It can grow in almost satvirated brine and produces beta- 

 carotene, which may be a potential anti-ccmcer agent. SIO scientists also discovered 

 that antarctic plants synthesize protective compounds that absorb ultraviolet 

 radiation (UV). This may have implications for preventing cancers associated with 

 UV increases from the depletion of the Earth's ozone layer. 



SIO scientists have identified a new compound that can inhibit the replication of 

 HTV, a virus which is thought to cause AIDS. The compoimd is produced by a 

 previously unknown species of deep sea bacteria taken from a sediment core from a 

 depth of more than 1,000 feet off the coast of northern California. Another SIO 

 scientist has discovered a chemical from a marine sponge that shows promise for 

 treating inflammation and pain without the problems associated v^th aspirin and 

 other anti-inflammatory drugs. 



Marine physiological research is also developing new biological and medical 

 knowledge: work with shark hearts provides a model of pericardial-cardiac 

 interactions and the filling mechanisms of the human ventricle; studies of 

 swimming fish shed light on the muscle fiber interactions of the systolic heart- 

 research in performance energetics and diving of marine mammals and birds has 

 greatly expemded the knowledge of human aerobic scope and the physiological 

 consequences of pulmonary disease; and investigations of the acid-base balance of 

 ectotherms has revolutionized approaches to hypothermic surgery and to the 

 maintenance of organs for transplant. 



SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY 

 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO 



