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Chemists with No Backbones

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Chemists with No Backbones Medicines from the Deep Sea: Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico Chemists with No Backbones FOCUS TEACHING TIME Benthic invertebrates that produce pharmacologi- One or two 45-minute class periods, plus time for cally-active substances student research GRADE LEVEL SEATING ARRANGEMENT 5-6 (Life Science) Classroom style, or groups of 2-3 students FOCUS QUESTION MAXIMUM NUMBER OF STUDENTS What groups of marine organisms produce sub- 30 stances that may be helpful in treating human dis- eases? KEY WORDS Cardiovascular disease LEARNING OBJECTIVES Cancer Students will be able to identify at least three Arthritis groups of benthic invertebrates that are known to Natural products produce pharmacologically-active compounds. Sponge Tunicate Students will be able to describe why pharmaco- Ascidian logically-active compounds derived from benthic Bryozoan invertebrates may be important in treating human Octocorals diseases. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Students will be able to infer why sessile marine Despite the many advances of modern medicine, invertebrates appear to be promising sources of disease is still the leading cause of death in the new drugs. United States. Cardiovascular disease and cancer together account for more than 1.5 million deaths MATERIALS annually (40% and 25% of all deaths, respectively). Marker board, blackboard, or overhead projector In addition, one in six Americans have some form with transparencies for group discussions of arthritis, and hospitalized patients are increas- ingly threatened by infections that are resistant to AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIALS conventional antibiotics. The cost of these diseases None is staggering: $285 billion per year for cardiovas- cular disease; $107 billion per year for cancer; $65 billion per year for arthritis. Death rates, costs of treatment and lost productivity, and emergence 1 Medicines from the Deep Sea: Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico – Grades 5-6 (Life Science) Focus: Benthic invertebrates that produce pharmacologically-active substances oceanexplorer.noaa.gov of drug-resistant diseases all point to the need for ω-conotoxin MVIIA – Extracted from the cone snail, new and more effective treatments. Conus magnus; potent pain-killer Most drugs in use today come from nature. Aspirin, The goal of the 2003 Medicines from the Deep for example, was first isolated from the willow Sea Expedition is to discover new resources with tree. Morphine is extracted from the opium poppy. pharmaceutical potential in the Gulf of Mexico. To Penicillin was discovered from common bread achieve this goal, the expedition will: mold. To date, almost all of the drugs derived from • collect selected benthic invertebrates from natural sources come from terrestrial organisms. deep-water bottom communities in the Gulf of But recently, systematic searches for new drugs Mexico (sponges, octocorals, molluscs, anne- have shown that marine invertebrates produce lids, echinoderms, tunicates), identify these more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory organisms, and obtain samples of DNA and substances than any group of terrestrial organ- RNA from the collected organisms; isms. Particularly promising invertebrate groups • isolate and culture microorganisms that live include sponges, tunicates, ascidians, bryozoans, in association with deep-sea marine inverte- octocorals, and some molluscs, annelids, and echi- brates; noderms. • prepare extracts of benthic invertebrates and associated microorganisms, and test these The list of drugs derived from marine invertebrates extracts to identify those that may be useful in includes: treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, infections, inflammation, and disorders of the Ecteinascidin – Extracted from tunicates; being tested central nervous system; in humans for treatment of breast and ovarian can- • isolate chemicals from extracts that show phar- cers and other solid tumors macological potential and determine the struc- ture of these chemicals; Topsentin – Extracted from the sponges Topsentia • further study the pharmacological properties of genitrix, Hexadella sp., and Spongosorites sp.; active compounds; and anti-inflammatory agent • develop methods for the sustainable use of bio- medically important marine resources. Lasonolide – Extracted from the sponge Forcepia sp.; anti-tumor agent The last objective is particularly important, since many potentially useful drugs are present in very Discodermalide – Extracted from deep-sea sponges small quantities in the animals that produce these belonging to the genus Discodermia; anti-tumor drugs. This makes it impossible to obtain useful agent amounts of the drugs simply by harvesting large numbers of animals from the sea. Some alterna- Bryostatin – Extracted from the bryozoan Bugula tives are chemical synthesis of specific compounds, neritina; potential treatment for leukemia and mela- aquaculture to produce large numbers of produc- noma tive species, or culture of the cells that produce the drugs. Pseudopterosins – Extracted from the octocoral (sea whip) Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae; anti-inflam- This activity is designed to familiarize students with matory and analgesic agents that reduce swelling some of the organisms that produce chemicals that and skin irritation and accelerate wound healing have shown promise for the treatment of human diseases. 2 Medicines from the Deep Sea: Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico – Grades 5-6 (Life Science) oceanexplorer.noaa.gov Focus: Benthic invertebrates that produce pharmacologically-active substances LEARNING PROCEDURE and pathogens in the water, they may use pow- 1. Review the importance of finding new drugs for erful chemicals to repel parasites or as antibiotics the treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, against disease-causing organisms. Competition inflammatory diseases, and infections. Describe for space may explain why some of these inver- the potential of marine communities as sources tebrates produce anti-cancer agents: if two spe- for these drugs, and introduce the objectives of cies are competing for the same piece of bottom the 2003 Medicines of the Deep Sea Expedition. space, it would be helpful to produce a substance that would attack rapidly dividing cells of the 2. Tell students that their assignment is to prepare a competing organism. Since cancer cells often written report on a marine benthic invertebrate divide more rapidly than normal cells, the same that produces one or more substances having substance might have anti-cancer properties. potential for treating human diseases. Reports should include: THE BRIDGE CONNECTION • description of the organism, with pictures if www.vims.edu/bridge/ – Click on “Ocean Science” in possible; the navigation menu to the left, then “Chemistry” • basic life history information about these for resources on drugs from the sea. Click on organisms (where they live, what they eat) “Habitats” then “Deep Sea” for resources on deep- • students’ inferences about how powerful chemi- sea communities. Click on “Human Activities” then cals might be useful to the organism. “Technology” for resources on biotechnology. You may also want to ask students to find out THE “ME” CONNECTION about chemicals produced by their assigned Have students write a short essay from the view- organism that may be useful for treating human point of a sessile benthic invertebrate, describing diseases. the hazards their animal must face in a typical day, and how their animal copes with these dangers. Assign each student or student group one or more of the following organisms: CONNECTIONS TO OTHER SUBJECTS sponges English/Language Arts; Chemistry tunicates ascidians EVALUATION bryozoans Written and oral reports provide opportunities for octocorals evaluation. 3. Have students make a brief oral presentation of EXTENSIONS their research results. Lead a discussion focus- Log on to http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov to keep up to date sing on the role of pharmacologically-active with the latest discoveries of the 2003 Medicines substances to the organisms studied. Students from the Deep Sea Expedition. should recognize that all of these species are sessile. Several reasons have been suggested to Visit http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1993/ for more explain why these particular animals procuce activities related to biotechnology from the 1993 potent chemicals. One possibility is that they use Woodrow Wilson Biology Institute. these chemicals to repel predators, since they are sessile, and thus basically “sitting ducks.” Since many of these species are filter feeders, and consequently are exposed to all sorts of parasites 3 Medicines from the Deep Sea: Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico – Grades 5-6 (Life Science) Focus: Benthic invertebrates that produce pharmacologically-active substances oceanexplorer.noaa.gov RESOURCES Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social http://oceanica.cofc.edu/activities.htm – Project Oceanica Web Perspectives site, with a variety of resources on ocean • Personal health exploration topics • Risks and benefits • Science and technology in society http://www.fau.edu/hboi/MarineDrugDiscovery/MDDdrugdiscovery.php – An overview article on drugs from the sea FOR MORE INFORMATION Paula Keener, Director, Education Programs www.nci.nih.gov – Web site of the National Cancer NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research Institute Hollings Marine Laboratory 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston SC 29412 http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1993/ – Background and 843.762.8818 activities from the 1993 Woodrow Wilson 843.762.8737 (fax) Biology Institute
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