Shark chemical fights viral infections
Scientists say squalamine, a substance originally isolated from sharks, can be used to treat a number of viral infections including hepatitis B and C.
Squalamine has not been tested as an antiviral agent in humans yet, but it has been given to hundreds of people enrolled in clinical trials designed to test its usefulness for other conditions, WebMed reported.
According to Dr. Michael Zasloff and colleagues who first discovered squalamine almost two decades ago, laboratory and animal studies confirmed that it had ”unambiguous” activity against viruses that attack cells in the liver and blood, including those that cause hepatitis B, C, and D, yellow fever, and dengue fever.
Although sharks are very primitive species, they enjoy highly effective immune systems which secrete chemicals such as squalamine, added Zasloff, whose recent findings suggest the compound works in a completely new way that could make it an effective antiviral drug.
”œSharks ought to be riddled with viruses because they have such primitive immune systems, but they aren’ t,” Zasloff said. ”œOther vertebrates are vulnerable to viruses, but there are no known shark viruses.”
To test the theory that squalamine had antiviral properties, Zasloff sent samples of the compound, which is now synthesized in the lab without shark tissue, to viral researchers across the country.
Findings reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) say the agent worked in a completely novel way that no known compound was capable of doing so.
Instead of targeting the virus directly, squalamine helps protect the cells that line the liver and blood vessels from infection by changing the electrical balance within the cells.
The chemical also acts fast to stop viral replication by clearing the body of the invading virus within hours.
According to Zasloff, the viral resistance may not be an issue because the chemical works by making the host tissue less receptive to infection instead of directly targeting the virus.
This approach might be especially useful for viral diseases characterized by ongoing viral replication like HIV and Hepatitis C, the lead researcher added.
Source: presstv.ir
