Molluscan Compounds Provide Drug Leads for the Treatment and Prevention of Respiratory Disease

Abstract

Respiratory diseases place an immense burden on global health and there is a compelling need for the discovery of new compounds for therapeutic development. Here, we identify research priorities by critically reviewing pre-clinical and clinical studies using extracts and compounds derived from molluscs, as well as traditional molluscan medicines, used in the treatment of respiratory diseases. We reviewed 97 biomedical articles demonstrating the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties of >320 molluscan extracts/compounds with direct relevance to respiratory disease, in addition to others with promising bioactivities yet to be tested in the respiratory context. Of pertinent interest are compounds demonstrating biofilm inhibition/disruption and antiviral activity, as well as synergism with approved antimicrobial and chemotherapeutic agents. At least 100 traditional medicines, incorporating over 300 different mollusc species, have been used to treat respiratory-related illness in cultures worldwide for thousands of years. These medicines provide useful clues for the discovery of bioactive components that likely underpin their continued use. There is particular incentive for investigations into anti-inflammatory compounds, given the extensive application of molluscan traditional medicines for symptoms of inflammation, and shells, which are the principal molluscan product used in these preparations. Overall, there is a need to target research toward specific respiratory disease-related hypotheses, purify bioactive compounds and elucidate their chemical structures, and develop an evidence base for the integration of quality-controlled traditional medicines.

From Naturally-Sourced Protease Inhibitors to New Treatments for Fungal Infections

“…Invertebrates are a heterogeneous group of animals (about 1.3 million species) found ubiquitously within the environment, requiring strong defenses (e.g., production of chemicals) to adapt and survive against predators and pathogens, including protease inhibitors as self-defense systems [78,79]. For instance, many compounds with therapeutic potential detected from invertebrates show inhibition profiles against proteases with biotechnological and biomedical interest; although, many more remain to be studied [80][81][82][83].…”

Anti-tumour drugs of marine origin currently at various stages of clinical trials (review)

“…Chemical examinations of marine mollusks revealed a broad spectrum of bioactive substances produced by these organisms in order to adapt to and survive in various environments -peptides, sterines, polyketides, carotenoids, terpenes, polypropionates, macrolides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, alkaloids, nitrogen compounds, etc. According to the data of 2014, 1,145 biologically active compounds were isolated from marine mollusks, and in the period between 2014 and 2018, another 145 substances were added to this list (Summer et al, 2020). Because of the variety of chemical structures and broad range of biological activity, these substances have high cytotoxic potential (Ciavatta et al, 2017;Ahmad et al, 2018;Esmaeelian et al, 2018;Avila & Angulo-Preckler, 2020).…”

Marine mollusc extracts—Potential source of SARS‐CoV‐2 antivirals

“…Marine invertebrates represent an almost totally unexploited source of medicinal compounds. 6 , 26 , 27 , 28 Marine invertebrates lack an adaptive immune system and only have the capacity to elicit innate immune responses, 29 , 30 , 31 despite living in an environment which contains virus particles in the order of >10 7 per ml. 32 , 33 This demonstrates the success of their innate immunity, which includes the production of potent antiviral compounds.…”