Drug discovery news

In 'Mermaid's Hair,' a Search for a Cancer Cure July 3, 2008

A team of San Diego scientists are convinced that the cure for cancer may be linked to a marine compound found within long strands of rosy-colored toxic bacteria that grow beneath mangroves in the South Pacific.

In a breakthrough discovery, researchers at the University of California, San Diego and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography identified a potent and stealthy compound in the bacteria, called "mermaid’s hair," that can kill tumors and be delivered without harming healthy tissue -- thereby avoiding a major drawback to traditional cancer therapies such as radiation treatments and chemotherapy drugs.

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Planktos science drug discovery and development

Planktos Science aims to become a leader in developing science and technology tools to aid in and conduct drug discovery and development from the worlds oceans.

Why does Planktos Science focus on the sea for drug discovery?

The oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface and account for 90% of the global biosphere. Recent studies suggest that there may be more than 25 million species of marine life which naturally produce a vast diversity of unique chemicals. In this vast ocean forest that displays a thousand times the biodiversity of the terrestrial rainforests there are certainly molecules with potent medicinal activities which have developed as a natural form of biochemical warfare to survive in this highly competitive marine environment.

Nature has been the traditional source for organic chemical compounds used in medicine. For over 3,000 years, societies have recognized that their immediate environments were a rich source of plants to provided materials to treat ordinary infections, inflammation, arthritis, cancers, and many other human diseases. Over the centuries, it became apparent that plants were able to offer effective cures. By the seventeenth century scientists begin to isolate, purify, and define these botanical drugs. Among the first pure drugs isolated were the powerful painkiller morphine purified from “tincture of opium,” and aspirin, from the bark of the willow tree. Today traditional medicines are still gathered and prescribed in an effective practice of herbal medicine.

Our expert marine biologists who are already at sea with our other projects also search the world oceans for useful chemical compounds by collecting small samples of local flora and fauna. Collected samples are identified taxonomically, shipped back to our research facilities for screening, and incorporated in Planktos Science's unique bio-diverse library.

As the recognized world leader in ocean ecorestoration Planktos Science we also support the protection, conservation and sustainable use of the precious resources from the sea. Our drug discovery program contributes to the discovery of novel therapeutics and also lends to the betterment of knowledge of marine ecosystems. The valuable information is we discover is kept in our R&D database to facilitate future exploration and is also shared with the business collaborations and academic centers.

Planktos Science intends to create a collaborative network to speed up research on targeted compounds from the ocean realm. This network includes centers of marine biology, pharmacology, chemistry and world-class basic science and clinical research.

Small samples taken in our global ocean ecorestoration work are processed and screened for anti-biotic, anti-viral, and anti-tumor factors. Fractionation of the samples by chromatographic techniques allows for rapid isolation of candidate molecules and elucidation of their chemical structure. We plan to implement rapid automated screening protocols in the near future.

As is typical in the biotechnology industry molecules with potentially useful activities are then subjected to additional research and development.

While most of our work on drug discovery and development is covered under confidential partnering agreements from time to time we will make news available on some of the remarkable discoveries from this aspect of our work.

If you or your company are interested in accessing the incredible resources of the ocean biomes for new and novel active compounds we invite your private contact regarding partnering and licensing opportunities with Planktos Science.