Mayer, A.M.S. and K.R.Gustafson. Marine Pharmacology in 2005-6: Antitumor and Cytotoxic Compounds. European Journal of Cancer, 44: 2357-2387, 2008

During 2005 and 2006, marine pharmacology research directed towards the discovery and development of novel antitumour agents was reported in 168 peer-reviewed articles. The purpose of this article is to present a structured review of the antitumour and cytotoxic properties of 138 marine natural products, many of which are novel compounds that belong to diverse structural classes, including polyketides, terpenes, steroids, and peptides. The organisms yielding these bioactive marine compounds included invertebrate animals, algae, fungi and bacteria.  Antitumour pharmacological studies were conducted with 44 structurally defined marine natural products in a number of experimental and clinical models which further defined their mechanisms of action. Particularly potent in vitro cytotoxicity data generated with murine and human tumour cell lines was reported for 94 novel marine chemicals with as yet undetermined mechanisms of action.  Noteworthy is the fact that marine anticancer research was sustained by a global collaborative effort, involving researchers from Australia, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, the Philippines, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States.  Finally, this 2005-6 overview of the  marine pharmacology literature highlights the fact that the discovery of novel marine antitumour agents continued at the same active pace as during 1998-2006.

Mayer, A.M.S., A.D. Rodriguez, R. Berlinck and M.T. Hamann.  Marine pharmacology in 2005-6:  Marine Compounds with Antibacterial, Anticoagulant, Antifungal, Anthelmitic, Anti-inflammatory, Antiprotozoal, and Antiviral Activities; affecting the Cardiovascular, Endocrine, Immune and Nervous Systems and other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, General Subjects 1790: 283-308,  2009

BACKGROUND: The review presents the 2005-2006 peer-reviewed marine pharmacology literature, and follows a similar format to the authors’ 1998-2004 reviews. The preclinical pharmacology of chemically characterized marine compounds isolated from marine animals, algae, fungi and bacteria is systematically presented.

RESULTS: Anthelminthic, antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis and antiviral activities were reported for 78 marine chemicals. Additionally 47 marine compounds were reported to affect the cardiovascular, immune and nervous system as well as possess anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, 58 marine compounds were shown to bind to a variety of molecular targets, and thus could potentially contribute to several pharmacological classes. 

CONCLUSIONS: Marine pharmacology research during 2005-2006 was truly global in nature, involving investigators from 32 countries, and the United States, and contributed 183 marine chemical leads to the research pipeline aimed at the discovery of novel therapeutic agents.

SIGNIFICANCE: Continued preclinical and clinical research with marine natural products demonstrating a broad spectrum of pharmacological activity will probably result in novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of multiple disease categories.