Marine Drug R&D for Disease Treatment

Overview

Due to the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance and the emergence of novel viruses worldwide, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs to address these challenges. With the deepening of scientific research, more and more marine natural products (MNPs) have been found to have significant medicinal value, bringing new hopes and possibilities for disease treatment. Because of their unique chemical structures and diverse biological activities, marine drugs have become an important direction in the development of new medicines. CD BioSciences has established a world-leading marine drug R&D platform through the integration of modern biotechnology and chemistry and has invested a great deal of resources and energy to focus on the research and development of marine drugs.

Unique Advantages of Marine Drugs

• Rich chemical diversity. Marine organisms live in extreme environments and have evolved unique metabolic pathways, producing a large number of compounds with special structures and functions. These compounds show remarkable potential in anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, etc., providing valuable resources for new drug development.
• New mechanism of action. Many marine drugs have mechanisms of action different from those of traditional drugs. For example, compounds extracted from marine mollusks can inhibit the growth of cancer cells by interfering with their signaling pathways. This unique mechanism of action is expected to overcome the problem of drug resistance and improve therapeutic efficacy.
• Diverse therapeutic areas. Marine drugs can be widely used in the treatment of cancer, infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases.

Figure 1. Approved marine drugs and their biological sources, chemical structures and treatment usage. (Zhang G, et al., 2016)

Our Technology Platforms

• High-throughput Screening

We utilize high-throughput screening technology to rapidly screen marine extracts for compounds with potential medicinal value. Through automation and robotics, we have dramatically increased our screening efficiency and can process thousands of samples in a short period. This not only speeds up the process of new drug discovery but also increases the success rate.

• Synthetic Biology

We have achieved large-scale production of target compounds by modifying the metabolic pathways of marine microorganisms. Synthetic biology technology not only makes it easier to obtain rare marine compounds but also significantly reduces production costs and ensures a sustainable supply of drugs.

• Structural Biology

Our structural biology team utilizes techniques such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and cryo-EM to analyze the three-dimensional structures of marine drugs. This structural information is important for understanding the mechanism of action of drugs and optimizing drug design. By gaining a deeper understanding of drug-target interactions, we can develop more efficient and safer drugs.

• Preclinical Research

We conduct comprehensive preclinical studies, including pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological evaluations. We use advanced cellular and animal models to evaluate the safety and efficacy of marine drugs.

• Data Analysis

We introduce big data analysis into the marine drug discovery process to discover potential drug targets and biomarkers by processing and analyzing massive amounts of data. We further improve the R&D efficiency and success rate by optimizing compound structure and predicting drug activity and toxicity.

Main Application Areas

• Bacterial Infection
• Cancer
• Inflammation
• Antioxidant
• Viral Infection
• Neurodegenerative Diseases
• Parasitic Infection
• Pain
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hyperlipidemia
• Diabetes
• Tuberculosis
• Thrombus

As marine drug research continues, more potential drugs will be discovered and applied to the treatment of diseases. CD BioSciences, in collaboration with research institutes and pharmaceutical companies around the world, will continue to work on the development and innovation of marine drugs to advance the treatment of diseases. If you would like more information about our services or products, please contact us at any time.

Reference

• Zhang G, Li J, Zhu T, et al. (2016). Advanced tools in marine natural drug discovery[J]. Current opinion in biotechnology. 42: 13-23.

Please kindly note that our services can only be used to support research purposes (Not for clinical use).