AN EMERGING MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY: MARINE DRUG DISCOVERY
Abstract: Marine natural
resources offer an opportunity to discover a novel chemical diversity
withinterest ing pharmacologically active compounds to treat many diseases such
as cancer,inflammation, bacterial and parasitic infections, and many other
diseases. Marine drug discoveryis a rising area in marine biotechnology.
Several hits of marine-derived drug compounds wereapproved; two of them are
Ziconotide and Trabectedin. In 2004, Ziconotide was approved as paintreatment
drugs in the United States and Europe. Then, in 2007, Trabectedin was also
approvedas anticancer drug in Europe. The main problem in marine drug discovery
research is materialsupply problem. Up till now, strategies to overcome the
problem are “Pharmaceutical aquaculture”of biologically active marine biota and
chemical synthesis approach. Chemical synthesis approachis feasible solution to
be used, especially when working with less complex structure of
compounds.However, when working with structurally complex compounds where total
or even semi synthesiswas very difficult to be provided, aquaculture can be a
solution. Currently, the use of microbiology,biochemistry, genetic,
bioinformatics, genomic and meta-genomic has been intensifying in orderto have
a better result in marine natural product drug discovery. As chemical synthesis
needs anexpensive investment of advanced technology and highly skilled human
resources, thuspharmaceutical aquaculture is more practicable to overcome the
material supply insufficiency inIndonesia. Up till now, many Indonesian marine bioprospectors
have been working with culturablemarine microorganism to produce bioactive
compounds and some others starting to work withgenomic and metagenomic-based
drug discovery.
Keywords: Marine
biotechnology, marine drug discovery, aquaculture, chemical synthesis
Author: Nurrahmi Dewi
Fajarningsih
Journal Code: jpperikanangg120020
