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Drugs of the future – sea sponges?

Marine sponges contain potential compounds to fight disease Wikimedia Commons
    DAKAR

    Zoologists from Tel Aviv University are diving deep into the sea to gather marine sponges containing chemicals that could become antibiotics. Led by Micha Ilan, the team has identified thousands of chemicals that help sedentary sponges, glued to the sea floor, fight off predators.



    For years scientists have tried to exploit marine sponges for pharmaceuticals, identifying a dozen types from 10,000 marine sponge classifications that contain anti-malarial, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compounds.



    But traces of promising compounds have been insufficient to run large-scale clinical trials. Researcher Ilan said his team is trying to develop cultures to create lab compounds of potential antibiotics.



    The UN World Health Organization has stated that science was able to stay ahead of microbes through antibiotic discoveries up to the 1970s, but that recent resistant strains demand new antimicrobials.



    pt/np

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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