The Eden Initiative

One Earth... One Initiative

Finding Relief in Mother Nature's medicine cabinet

by Dr. Reese Halter

The diversity of life on our planet is astounding. And, given enough time and careful management of our natural resources, science will find cures for most of the ailments that afflict humankind.

Between 40 million and 90 million North Americans suffer from pain. The annual cost of medical bills and lost wages easily exceeds $100 billion. Sales of morphine and morphine-derived products in the U.S. alone total $650 million a year. Morphine is addictive, constipating and causes respiratory distress. Over time, more if it is needed to obtain relief.

Coral reefs are the largest non-human-made organisms on our planet, adding 200 tonnes of new growth a year. They are easily the equivalent in biological diversity to that of the Amazon rainforests.

Globally, there are about 500 species of exquisitely mottled tapering shells of cone snails. One species from the Philippines contains a toxin 100 times more potent than morphine. The drug Prialt, derived from this cone snail, effectively treats pain and is non-addictive.

We know of about 1.5 million species on our planet. Oceans likely contain 100 million forms of life yet to be discovered.

More than 100 varieties of cancer exist. Soft corals from northwest Australia produce the most potent anti-cancer compounds found. One, eleutherobin, is undergoing trials and is believed to combat ovarian and breast cancers. It may become an efficacious tool to treat taxol-resistant cancers. (Taxol comes from the Pacific yew tree.)

Ocean-derived pharmaceuticals are so important that Merck, Lilly, Pfizer, Hoffman-Roche and Bristol Myers Squibb have marine biology divisions.

Caribbean sea squirts produce ecteinascidin, offering promise for people melanoma and breast cancers. Sponges from the Florida Keys contain cytosine arabinoside, which has been improving treatments for leukemia since 1969.

Sponges fight off viruses. The compound adenine Arabinoside vidarabine is effective against herpes and shingles. Research from sponges led scientists to develop blockbuster AIDS drug AZT.

Australian sponges yield potent chemicals for treatment of falciparum malaria- one of the most lethal and drug-resistant forms. Another sponge has compounds known as topsentins or anti-inflammatories that can be employed in treatments of sunburn and even arthritis.

A deep-water Caribbean sponge has compounds 1,000 times stronger than cyclosporin, an effective immunosuppressant. Coral is the most effective treatment in re-growing human bones and requires no immunosuppressants.

Australian scientists are developing new sunscreens from the Great Barrier Reef .

Tropical rainforests, too, should be thought of as nature's treasure trove of medicines. Venom from the Brazilian viper led to a blockbuster drug called Capoten, which lowers blood pressure and is worth $1.75 billion in sales annually. Iridescent poison dart frogs from northwest Columbia produce epibatidine, now being tested as a non-sedating, non-addictive, non-opioid painkiller.

Plant medicines also reduce the risk of cancers, and heart, liver and respiratory diseases. And they are helping to combat drug-resistant diseases like TB and malaria.

Five of the world's top 30 drugs are derived from fungi - penicillin being the most notable. Fungi are the least studied and most promising therapeutic organisms. Merck's blockbuster drug Lovastatin, which comes from a soil fungus, lowers cholesterol. Swiss pharmaceutical Sandoz discovered the immunosuppressant cyclosporin from the insect-killing Cordyceps fungus and changed human-organ transplant surgery.

Of the 1.5 million or so species classified on Earth, more than half are insects and millions may be awaiting discovery. The insect world is a veritable drugstore of pharmacodynamic agents.

Technology can help us modify and improve natural products for medicine, industry and agriculture. The race is on to better manage our relationship with all the species on Earth; undoubtedly it will ensure a better future for our children.

- August 2007