Marine Microbes as Pharmaceutical Agents

A Review of: Waters, A.L., Hill, R.T., Place, A.R., Hamann, M.T., (2010), The expanding role of marine microbes in pharmaceutical development, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 21, 780-786

Marine microbes are a phenomenally vast group of organisms which cover many of the niches in the marine environment. These organisms are a major focus for drug discoveries and bioactive metabolites. One major area of existing study is that of invertebrate symbionts as creators of molecules that are beneficial to their hosts. This ability is desired for the creation and synthesis of molecules that are beneficial enough to enter clinical trials. Another promising area of study is that of toxins found in harmful algal blooms (HABs), which are increasing in frequency and as a result are becoming a serious hazard to the marine environment and humans alike. 

HABs are a major toxicological issue and can affect many organisms due to the build up of toxins in tissues. With 50,000-500,000 incidents per year, the biotoxins found during these blooms have been affecting humans with a 1.5% mortality rate, they also pose many economic problems due to tourism and fishing industries, an estimated $82 million per year is lost from the US economy due to the effects of HABs. However, upon studying these biotoxins, it has been discovered that they possess a unique stability in the environment including metabolic stability. This can be advantageous to humans as they could possibly be modified into functional drug compounds. An example of this is the karlotoxins, which are a serious hazard as a HAB but have allowed for the design of cholesterol targeting drugs.

Karlotoxins are produced from a toxic suite of metabolites from the dinoflagellate K. veneficum. Due to their unique properties, karlotoxins are able to be synthesised into a non toxic cholesterol pharmacore that has the potential to transport cholesterol from the arteries and into the liver or kidneys for excretion. If effective, this would result in a decrease in serum cholesterol levels and a large increase in HDL cholesterol levels. Due to current research linking cholesterol to numerous human health issues such as cancer, HIV-1, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, this is a very important area of study.

Marine microbes provide a great insight into what is possible for the future of human health advancements, with a multitude of uses, they may soon be essential to pharmacology. This is primarily due to their ability to produce unique compounds which can have multiple roles, these compounds cover new chemical space and allow for substantial growth in the pharmaceutical pipeline. Marine microbes also allow for improved methodologies in fermentation, biosynthesis and synthesis, allowing for new drugs to be created and supplied. Biotechnological pharmacology is certain to benefit from the use of marine microbes as both ways to make new drugs, and sources of unique chemicals that can be used in them.