Squalamine

SQUALAMINE

CHEMICAL FORMULA: C(34)H(65)N(3)O(5)S

IUPAC NAME: (3β,5α,7α,24R)-3-({3-[(4-Aminobutyl)amino]propyl}amino)-7-hydroxycholestan-24-yl hydrogen sulfate

Squalamine is a cationic amino sterol isolated from the tissues of some species of shark. This should not be confused with Shark cartilage or Squalene (shark liver oil).

Squalamine has a broad spectrum antimicrobial and anti-angiogenic activity that prevent growth of bacteria that cause infections and seem to prevent the formation and growth of tumors in sharks giving them an ultimate immune system.

Researches have shown that;

• It also exhibits potent bactericidal activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria,
• It is fungicidal,
• It induces osmotic lysis of protozoans
  and more importantly,
• It has the ability to inhibit the growth of rapidly multiplying blood vessels like the ones in tumors and retinal diseases.

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Multiple tests involving squalamine as an anti-viral agent have had promising results. The compound successfully prevented

• Dengue fever virus infection in human blood vessels.
• Hepatitis B and D infection in human liver cells.
• Yellow fever, an haemorrhagic infection.
  Test against Hepatitis C was not possible as it grows poorly in lab animals.

Also in animal trials, squalamine warded off yellow fever, eastern equine encephalitis virus, and murine cytomegalovirus.

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Fortunately, unlike shark liver oil or shark cartilage, squalamine's benefits can be reaped without harming or killing sharks as it can be produced artificially in the laboratory.

The problem with treating viral infections is that viruses are always mutating and will eventually become drug resistant. However, squalamine's effectiveness against several viruses gives it a desirable advantage over current anti-viral drugs which usually target one specific virus.
Scientists hypothesize that viruses are less likely to become resistant to squalamine since it stops the viruses from "infecting the cells" rather than "attacking viral proteins."

Scientists intend to start test trials with squalamine on humans in the soonest future and this step would be a great milestone in the history of man and infections.

Todd Rider of MIT says that squalamine "does have some toxicity and other side effects in certain cell types at doses roughly comparable to those that were required for antiviral efficacy." Further tests will need to be performed to see if squalamine can still prevent viral infection at non-toxic dosages.