NEW DRUG DISCOVERY MADE BY HARBOR BRANCH RESEARCHER ANTI-FUNGAL AGENT COULD BE USED TO TREAT AIDS AND CANCER RELATED CONDITIONS Fort Pierce, FL., Oct. 20, 2000 - Working with extracts from a sponge found in the Indian Ocean, Harbor Branch researchers have discovered unique chemical compounds that could lead to new treatment for fungal infections that threaten the lives of AIDS and cancer patients. Drs. Peter McCarthy and Amy Wright, senior research scientists in the Division of Biomedical Marine Research, and Dr. Ying Chen, an HBOI post-doctoral fellow, isolated compounds from the sponge Plakinistrella, commonly found in 25 feet of water in the seas off the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The discovery comes after screening 3,500 samples collected from the oceans and stored at Harbor Branch. McCarthy called the discovery "exciting, to say the least." "These compounds, are very rare in nature," McCarthy said. "Their discovery only emphasizes what a treasure trove we have in the world's oceans, and the need to protect the oceans for what they offer." The compounds are members of a completely different class of antifungal agents called cyclic peroxide- acids, and in laboratory tests have been shown to kill two human pathogens; Candida albicans, which causes skin infections and thrush and can endanger the lives of AIDS patients, and Aspergillus fumigatus, which causes dangerous lung infections in people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. Amphotericin B, the current drug of choice for treating fungal infections, has toxic side effects. Other therapies are available but they are also toxic, or have limited utility. For others the fungi have become resistant requiring the discovery of novel compounds to combat them. Harbor Branch has a collection of over 30,000 marine organisms to use in their discovery program. 3,500 organisms were selected and the chemical extracts sent to the Denver-based biotech company MycoLogics for analysis. MycoLogics has unique abilities to screen for antifungal agents. In all, MycoLogics identified 101 promising leads. Of these, Plakinistrella was identified as one of the most interesting leads. Using bioassays performed by Dee Harmody, Dr. Chen separated the chemicals present in the sponge extract and identified the antifungal compounds. Fungi are all around us, and common examples include bread mold, and yeast. Dr. McCarthy points out that everyone has Candida albicans present in their bodies, but most people with healthy immune systems never have a problem. He also points out that because more and more people are suffering from diseases of the immune system, or have their immune systems suppressed when undergoing treatment for other diseases, the need for antifungal agents is greater than ever before. "We've only begun to realize the possibilities there are for new drug discoveries in the ocean. It's like the rain forests, where plants and animals that could hold the keys to new drugs are becoming extinct every day. We have the same potential in the oceans, the least-explored and understood environments in the world," McCarthy said. He adds that the oceans "are potentially the richest source of new drugs to treat human disease." It may not be obvious at first, but the lifestyle of a sponge makes it logical that it would have chemicals to fight off predators. Sponges live anchored to the ocean floor (they are "sessile") and therefore can't run away from predators or pathogens. Over time they've evolved home-made poisons that they use to fight their enemies. The staff of the Division of Biomedical Marine Research will continue their research on these organisms to discover new chemicals which will provide better therapies. The current research was carried out with a grant from the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) of the National Institutes of Health. Phase I is complete and Phase II of the research is continuing. A patent on the new series of chemical compounds was applied for in July. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc. is one of the world's leading nonprofit oceanographic research organizations dedicated to the exploration of the earth's oceans, estuaries and coastal regions for the benefit of mankind.