-
Marine Drugs Dec 2020By the end of the year 2020, there are nine marine-derived anticancer drugs available on the market, and the field is currently growing exponentially [...].
By the end of the year 2020, there are nine marine-derived anticancer drugs available on the market, and the field is currently growing exponentially [...].
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Products; Humans; Marine Biology; Marine Toxins; Neoplasms
PubMed: 33333876
DOI: 10.3390/md18120643 -
Toxins Jun 2019The emergence of marine biotoxins in geographical areas where they have never been reported before is a concern of considerable impact on seafood contamination, and...
The emergence of marine biotoxins in geographical areas where they have never been reported before is a concern of considerable impact on seafood contamination, and consequently, on public health [...].
Topics: Animals; Environmental Monitoring; Food Contamination; Humans; Marine Toxins; Seafood
PubMed: 31163582
DOI: 10.3390/toxins11060314 -
Toxins Aug 2017Rex Munday was a scientist working for AgResearch Ltd. in New Zealand. He was a leading figure in the area of marine toxin toxicity. His passing in July 2017 marked a...
Rex Munday was a scientist working for AgResearch Ltd. in New Zealand. He was a leading figure in the area of marine toxin toxicity. His passing in July 2017 marked a loss for his family, as well as for colleagues who knew him as a dedicated professional, and a lively scientist with a great sense of humor.
Topics: History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Marine Toxins; New Zealand; Toxicology
PubMed: 28837074
DOI: 10.3390/toxins9090257 -
Toxins May 2021Macrolides are a diverse class of hydrophobic compounds characterized by a macrocyclic lactone ring and distinguished by variable side chains/groups. Some of the most... (Review)
Review
Macrolides are a diverse class of hydrophobic compounds characterized by a macrocyclic lactone ring and distinguished by variable side chains/groups. Some of the most well characterized macrolides are toxins produced by marine bacteria, sea sponges, and other species. Many marine macrolide toxins act as biomimetic molecules to natural actin-binding proteins, affecting actin polymerization, while other toxins act on different cytoskeletal components. The disruption of natural cytoskeletal processes affects cell motility and cytokinesis, and can result in cellular death. While many macrolides are toxic in nature, others have been shown to display therapeutic properties. Indeed, some of the most well known antibiotic compounds, including erythromycin, are macrolides. In addition to antibiotic properties, macrolides have been shown to display antiviral, antiparasitic, antifungal, and immunosuppressive actions. Here, we review each functional class of macrolides for their common structures, mechanisms of action, pharmacology, and human cellular targets.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cytoskeleton; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Macrolides; Marine Toxins
PubMed: 34065929
DOI: 10.3390/toxins13050347 -
Chemical Immunology and Allergy 2014The term anaphylaxis was coined by Charles Richet and Paul Portier when they tried to immunize dogs with actinia extracts, but after a repeated injection of a small...
The term anaphylaxis was coined by Charles Richet and Paul Portier when they tried to immunize dogs with actinia extracts, but after a repeated injection of a small amount of the toxin the dog died within 25 min. The new term rapidly spread all over the world. The discovery of the phenomenon of anaphylaxis showed that by immunization not only protection but also harmful events could be induced. For this discovery Richet received the Nobel Prize in 1913, but he still believed the condition of anaphylaxis was a lack of protection to the poisonous effect of the substance. Already earlier similar clinical phenomena had been observed but not well described. A major breakthrough in understanding the pathophysiology came through the experiments of Dale and Laidlaw who showed that the newly discovered histamine was able to induce quite similar symptoms to anaphylaxis. For decades reactions mimicking anaphylaxis but without involvement of the immune systems were called 'anaphylactoid', 'allergy-like' or 'pseudo-allergic'. Since the new definition of the World Allergy Organization (WAO) anaphylaxis is defined on the basis of clinical symptoms independent of pathomechanisms involved: one distinguishes between allergic and non-immune anaphylaxis. Epinephrine (Adrenalin) was soon recognized as treatment of choice of this dramatic condition.
Topics: Anaphylaxis; Animals; Dogs; Epinephrine; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Humans; Marine Toxins; Sea Anemones
PubMed: 24925384
DOI: 10.1159/000358503 -
Marine Drugs Feb 2024The presence and impact of toxins have been detected in various regions worldwide ever since the discovery of azaspiracids (AZAs) in 1995. These toxins have had... (Review)
Review
The presence and impact of toxins have been detected in various regions worldwide ever since the discovery of azaspiracids (AZAs) in 1995. These toxins have had detrimental effects on marine resource utilization, marine environmental protection, and fishery production. Over the course of more than two decades of research and development, scientists from all over the world have conducted comprehensive studies on the in vivo metabolism, in vitro synthesis methods, pathogenic mechanisms, and toxicology of these toxins. This paper aims to provide a systematic introduction to the discovery, distribution, pathogenic mechanism, in vivo biosynthesis, and in vitro artificial synthesis of AZA toxins. Additionally, it will summarize various detection methods employed over the past 20 years, along with their advantages and disadvantages. This effort will contribute to the future development of rapid detection technologies and the invention of detection devices for AZAs in marine environmental samples.
Topics: Marine Toxins; Spiro Compounds; Polyether Toxins
PubMed: 38393050
DOI: 10.3390/md22020079 -
Toxins Aug 2022Tetrodotoxin (TTX), a potent paralytic sodium channel blocker, is an intriguing marine toxin. Widely distributed in nature, TTX has attracted attention in various... (Review)
Review
Tetrodotoxin (TTX), a potent paralytic sodium channel blocker, is an intriguing marine toxin. Widely distributed in nature, TTX has attracted attention in various scientific fields, from biomedical studies to environmental safety concerns. Despite a long history of studies, many issues concerning the biosynthesis, origin, and spread of TTX in animals and ecosystems remain. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on TTX circulation inside TTX-bearing animal bodies. We focus on the advances in TTX detection at the cellular and subcellular levels, providing an expanded picture of intra-organismal TTX migration mechanisms. We believe that this review will help address the gaps in the understanding of the biological function of TTX and facilitate the development of further studies involving TTX-bearing animals.
Topics: Animals; Ecosystem; Sodium Channel Blockers; Tetrodotoxin
PubMed: 36006238
DOI: 10.3390/toxins14080576 -
Marine Drugs Mar 2022Marine phycotoxins are a multiplicity of bioactive compounds which are produced by microalgae and bioaccumulate in the marine food web. Phycotoxins affect the ecosystem,... (Review)
Review
Marine phycotoxins are a multiplicity of bioactive compounds which are produced by microalgae and bioaccumulate in the marine food web. Phycotoxins affect the ecosystem, pose a threat to human health, and have important economic effects on aquaculture and tourism worldwide. However, human health and food safety have been the primary concerns when considering the impacts of phycotoxins. Phycotoxins toxicity information, often used to set regulatory limits for these toxins in shellfish, lacks traceability of toxicity values highlighting the need for predefined toxicological criteria. Toxicity data together with adequate detection methods for monitoring procedures are crucial to protect human health. However, despite technological advances, there are still methodological uncertainties and high demand for universal phycotoxin detectors. This review focuses on these topics, including uncertainties of climate change, providing an overview of the current information as well as future perspectives.
Topics: Animals; Climate Change; Humans; Marine Toxins; Microalgae; Water Pollutants
PubMed: 35323497
DOI: 10.3390/md20030198 -
Marine Drugs Mar 2015Cyanobacteria of a picoplanktonic cell size (0.2 to 2.0 µm) are common organisms of both freshwater and marine ecosystems. However, due to their small size and... (Review)
Review
Cyanobacteria of a picoplanktonic cell size (0.2 to 2.0 µm) are common organisms of both freshwater and marine ecosystems. However, due to their small size and relatively short study history, picoplanktonic cyanobacteria, in contrast to the microplanktonic cyanobacteria, still remains a poorly studied fraction of plankton. So far, only little information on picocyanobacteria toxicity has been reported, while the number of reports concerning their presence in ecosystems is increasing. Thus, the issue of picocyanobacteria toxicity needs more researchers' attention and interest. In this report, we present information on the current knowledge concerning the picocyanobacteria toxicity, as well as their harmfulness and problems they can cause.
Topics: Animals; Cell Size; Cyanobacteria; Humans; Marine Toxins; Phytoplankton
PubMed: 25793428
DOI: 10.3390/md13031497 -
Essays in Biochemistry Jun 2016Increasing occurrences of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the ocean are a major concern for countries around the globe, and with strong links between HABs and climate... (Review)
Review
Increasing occurrences of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the ocean are a major concern for countries around the globe, and with strong links between HABs and climate change and eutrophication, the occurrences are only set to increase. Of particular concern with regard to HABs is the presence of toxin-producing algae. Six major marine biotoxin groups are associated with HABs. Ingestion of such toxins via contaminated shellfish, fish, or other potential vectors, can lead to intoxication syndromes with moderate to severe symptoms, including death in extreme cases. There are also major economic implications associated with the diverse effects of marine biotoxins and HABs. Thus, effective monitoring programmes are required to manage and mitigate their detrimental global effect. However, currently legislated detection methods are labour-intensive, expensive and relatively slow. The growing field of biosensor diagnostic devices is an exciting area that has the potential to produce robust, easy-to-use, cost-effective, rapid and accurate detection methods for marine biotoxins and HABs. This review discusses recently developed biosensor assays that target marine biotoxins and their microbial producers, both in harvested fish/shellfish samples and in the open ocean. The effective deployment of such biosensor platforms could address the pressing need for improved monitoring of HABs and marine biotoxins, and could help to reduce their global economic impact.
Topics: Biosensing Techniques; Harmful Algal Bloom; Marine Toxins
PubMed: 27365035
DOI: 10.1042/EBC20150006