Algae Antitoxin May Help Cystic Fibrosis

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The algae bloom known as red tide brings death to marine wildlife, but it may also hold hope for humans who are stricken with cystic fibrosis.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington have been studying red tides toxins for five years, and now think they’ve found an antitoxin that is 100 times more effective than any other drug for treating cystic fibrosis.

“This is truly bench-to-bedside research,” said Daniel Baden, director of UNCW’s Center for Marine Science. “We weren’t looking for this. It’s one of those things where you put observation together with opportunity and you make discoveries.”

The “eureka moment,” as Baden calls it, came two years ago, as research assistant professor Andrea Bourdelais tested toxins from red tide on mosquito fish swimming in 50 milliliter beakers of water.

The fish usually died within seven minutes, but in one toxin sample, the fish lived about 17 minutes. Further study showed that red tide produces at least two antitoxins to help neutralize its own toxins.

Red tide’s toxins contaminate shellfish and cause respiratory irritation similar to asthma in humans and other marine wildlife, so the team theorized the antitoxin would have the opposite effect. They tried it on asthmatic sheep, and it effectively opened breathing passages.

“Not only did it work, but it works at a million times lower concentrations than any other drug,” Baden said.

There are few treatments for cystic fibrosis, the most common cause of chronic lung disease in children and young adults in America. It kills 60 percent of the children who have the genetic disease before they reach adulthood.

UNCW is working with aaiPharma, a pharmaceutical drug company in Wilmington, to explore the possibilities of the team’s discovery. But they caution that it could be years before any form of the antitoxin is on the market for human use.

“It’s too soon to be able to put a realistic time frame on it,” said Steve Fontana, vice president of patents and intellectual property at aaiPharma.

Baden’s research was financed by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, based in Research Triangle Park.

“There is a lot of testing that needs to be done, but this could really, really, really be a major product,” NIEHS program administrator Fred Tyson said.

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Information from: The Star-News, http://starnewsonline.com