Cave Microbes as a Potential Source of Drugs Development in the Modern Era

Abstract

The world is constantly facing threats, including the emergence of new pathogens and antibiotic resistance among extant pathogens, which is a matter of concern. Therefore, the need for natural and effective sources of drugs is inevitable. The ancient and pristine ecosystems of caves contain a unique microbial world and could provide a possible source of antimicrobial metabolites. The association between humans and caves is as old as human history itself. Historically, cave environments have been used to treat patients with respiratory tract infections, which is referred to as speleotherapy. Today, the pristine environment of caves that comprise a poorly explored microbial world is a potential source of antimicrobial and anticancer drugs. Oligotrophic conditions in caves enhance the competition among microbial communities, and unique antimicrobial agents may be used in this competition. This review suggests that the world needs a novel and effective source of drug discovery. Therefore, being the emerging spot of modern human civilization, caves could play a crucial role in the current medical crisis, and cave microorganisms may have the potential to produce novel antimicrobial and anticancer drugs.

Actinomycetes from Caves: An Overview of Their Diversity, Biotechnological Properties, and Insights for Their Use in Soil Environments

“…Cave ecosystems drive unique evolutionary stressors, and the scarcity of energy determines complex interactions between different microorganisms. For these reasons, caves are fascinating and promising places, especially for investigating novel actinomycetes [19]. Most of the actinomycetes can be seen by the naked eye adhering to the rock surface of the ceiling and wall rocks with colonies from 1 to 10 mm in diameter [20][21][22].…”

“…Even if we believe we must study cave microbiology comprehensively, focusing on this aspect could help us define more suitable environments and/or characteristics shaping biota of more relevant interest for biotechnological purposes. Indeed, various authors attest to the importance of pristine caves for searching novel microbial species and bioactive compounds [19]. This aspect can also have implications in conserving impacted cave environments, aiming to preserve what shapes the invisible resource.…”

Into the Unknown: Microbial Communities in Caves, Their Role, and Potential Use

“…Therefore, alternative methods of treatment against bacterial infections are being developed, as well as new antimicrobial compounds are being researched [88,89]. Extreme environments such as caves, glaciers, or deep seas seem to be promising sources of microorganisms with properties that could be implemented in medicine [31,90]. Secretion of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties by microorganisms living in extreme, oligotrophic environments such as caves is not surprising, as competition for resources is strong, especially in the deepest parts of the cave [6,91].…”

A 16S rRNA Gene-Based Metabarcoding of Phosphate-Rich Deposits in Muierilor Cave, South-Western Carpathians

“…The increasing interest in caves also encompasses the potential biotechnological applications in biological and medical sciences of the cave microbiomes ( Jiang et al, 2015 ; Rangseekaew and Pathom-Aree, 2019 ; Zada et al, 2021 ). Already known bacteria reveal new characteristics, and the potential of pathogenicity has been found in some bacteria ( Jurado et al, 2010 ; Moldovan et al, 2020 ).…”