WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A compound that protects sharks from viruses could be used to create a broad-spectrum antiviral agent for human use, U.S. researchers say.
The compound, squalamine, has been safely tested in human trials for the treatment of cancer and several eye disorders, leading researchers to believe it could quickly produce news drugs to treat viral infections ranging from dengue and yellow fevers to hepatitis, a release by the Georgetown University Medical Center said Monday.
Georgetown researcher Michael Zasloff said the compound has shown antiviral activity against these human pathogens, some of which cannot presently be treated effectively.
"To realize that squalamine potentially has broad antiviral properties is immensely exciting, especially since we already know so much from ongoing studies about its behavior in people," Zasloff, a professor of surgery and pediatrics at Georgetown, said.
Scientists have long wondered how sharks, which possess very primitive immune systems, can so effectively resist viruses.
"We may be able to harness the shark's novel immune system to turn all of these antiviral compounds into agents that protect humans against a wide variety of viruses," Zasloff said. "While many antibacterial agents exist, doctors have few antiviral drugs to help their patients, and few of those are broadly active."
