In short I am looking for active pharmaceutical ingredients in marine invertebrates with immunoactive functionality that might prove interesting in drug development,” says Ása Bryndís Guðmundsdóttir, Doctoral Student. She is mostly examining marine sponges by Icelandic shores and evaluating whether they have immune regulatory impact, or anti-inflammatory qualities. Inflammations are the body’s defence mechanism, for example against infections and imbalance in the immune system that can for example appear as auto-immune diseases. Guðmundsdóttir tests the functionality of the material obtained from the sponges on so-called dendritic cells. These cells in turn send a message that action is needed against the cause of the disease resulting in inflammation. “The dendritic cells thus play a key role in the body’s immune response; making it logical to examine the effects of the substances on them,” says Guðmundsdóttir.
Due to the difficult access to the bottom of the sea compared to areas on land; the ocean biosphere has been less researched in general. “The biological diversity by Icelandic shores remains practically uncharted when it comes to chemical ingredients, however, research on the ocean’s chemical treasures has increased significantly in recent times. Increased understanding of “chemical weapons” in marine organisms is an extremely interesting addition to our knowledge of the biosphere.”
The research project in itself was quite the adventure for the newly graduated pharmacologist as some of the researchers studied special diving research. “To isolate the functionality of chemicals from marine organisms, that could possibly become active pharmaceutical ingredients in the future, is amazing as well as getting the opportunity to immerse oneself into the enchanting world of immunology.”
Guðmundsdóttir says that even though they are just embarking on this extensive project, the first results show that various chemicals from marine organisms have extremely exciting effects on the dendritic cells. “The chemicals could possibly prove effective in reducing inflammation or suppressing the body’s immune system, but inflammations are now considered a more dire threat to health than previously thought. New pharmaceuticals to reduce or temper immune response would obviously be useful in the treatment of many disease, especially auto-immune diseases.”
Supervisors: Sesselja S. Ómarsdóttir, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Jóna Freysdóttir, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine.
