WORLD
New antibiotic found in shark liver
Baku, September 20 (AZERTAC). A compound that serves as the antibiotics found in shark liver. Antibiotic from the shark has become an important breakthrough because it can protect humans from various diseases .
antibiotics found in shark can be used as drugs against human viruses, and revolutionized medicine. Compounds found in shark liver can be used as drugs to treat diseases ranging from dengue fever, yellow fever to hepatitis B, C and D.
Antibiotics known as squalamine has been safe for use in humans as an antiviral drug.
“Squalamine that potentially has broad antiviral properties is very interesting, especially since we already know so much of the ongoing research about how it works on humans,” said Dr.. Michael Zasloff of Georgetown University who led the study as quoted from Dailymail (09/20/2011).
In laboratory experiments and animal studies, squalamine shown to produce antiviral activity against human pathogens on disease such as hepatitis that can not currently be treated.
Dr. Zasloff discovered squalamine in 1993 and has been clinically tested were able to treat cancer and some eye disorders. “I am interested in sharks because although it seems primitive, their immune system is effective. No one can explain why the shark was so strong,” he said.
He found that the compound was able to inhibit the rapid growth of blood vessels such as those found in tumors and tumor diseases retina. But for the study, Dr. Zasloff no longer use live sharks. Since 1995, Dr. Zasloff squalamine have been synthesized in the lab rather than take the network of sharks in the wild.
Dr. Zasloff admits she still interested in the workings of natural cholesterol-type molecules have a positive electrical charge can act as an immune substance in sharks.
In addition to act quickly in stopping the proliferation of viruses, squalamine rid the body of predators within a few hours. Furthermore, because the workings of squalamine create a network of host resist infection, not by targeting specific viral proteins, then the emergence of viral resistance can not be anticipated.
In tissue culture studies, squalamine able to inhibit infection in cells of human blood vessels by dengue virus and human liver cells infected with hepatitis B and D which causes liver failure and cancer.
In animal studies, scientists from across the United States found that squalamine is able to control infectious jaundice, estern equine encephalitis virus and murine cytomegalovirus and in some cases can cure an animal.