title: Microtubule-stabilizing drugs from marine sponges: focus on peloruside A and zampanolide.
abstract: Marine sponges are an excellent source of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential therapeutic value in the treatment of diseases. One group of compounds of particular interest is the microtubule-stabilizing agents, the most well-known compound of this group being paclitaxel (Taxol), an anti-cancer compound isolated from the bark and leaves of the Pacific yew tree. This review focuses on two of the more recent additions to this important class of drugs, peloruside A and zampanolide, both isolated from marine sponges. Peloruside A was isolated from Mycale hentscheli collected in New Zealand coastal waters, and it already shows promising anti-cancer activity. Two other potent bioactive compounds with different modes of action but isolated from the same sponge, mycalamide A and pateamine, will also be discussed. The fourth compound, zampanolide, most recently isolated from the Tongan sponge Cacospongia mycofijiensis, has only recently been added to the microtubule-stabilizing group of compounds, and further work is in progress to determine its activity profile relative to peloruside A and other drugs of this class.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand. john.h.miller@vuw.ac.nz
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: A Jonathan
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Northcote
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018942:Macrolides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011161:Porifera / Q000737:chemistry; D011714:Pyrans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D007783:Lactones; D018942:Macrolides; D011714:Pyrans; D013844:Thiazoles; C421324:pateamine A; C414085:peloruside A; C444900:zampanolide; C059646:mycalamide A