Frontiers in Marine Science (Oct 2018)
“From Large-Scale Collections to the Potential Use of Genomic Techniques for Supply of Drug Candidates”
Abstract
The initial sources of marine-derived compounds that on a small scale exhibited interesting biological activities, were often confined to collection levels ranging from <100 grams to a kilogram. Then if significant interest was shown, collections on a larger scale were made of the nominal source organism. Due to many reasons, including but not limited to realization of the environmental harm that can occur, and in some cases, has occurred, over the last 15 plus years, the paradigm moved to semi-synthesis, total synthesis (sometimes of simpler versions) and the use of genomic techniques both to identify the “source” and then to utilize the data in due course. In this short review, examples of how ideas have changed will range from the early days with the arabinose-containing nucleosides, the sourcing and use of didemnins and their derivatives, work with bryostatins, ecteinascidins and halichondrins, and then demonstrate how molecules derived from dolastatins are now used as “warheads.” In most cases the varying methods used will be discussed, albeit in brief in some cases, with the aim of demonstrating how various techniques were used to optimize these compounds and their derivatives. The review finishes with comments as to the current and future involvement of microbes as sources of these and other agents.
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