Welcome to Deep Sea Pharmaceuticals! We are happy to serve you and, like our motto states, we know that ‘the ocean holds all the keys to healing whatever ails you.’ I know what you’re thinking, “what’s wrong with my prescription drugs that come from terrestrial plants and animals? Why should I believe your ocean drugs are better?” Though your question is a bit abrasive, it is a fair question and we will provide an honest, scientifically proven answer! For starters, among 34 fundamental phyla of life, 32 of the 34 phyla occur in the sea (a portion of that 32 is both land and sea dwelling). Water-dwelling organisms have existed on this planet longer than land-dwelling organisms and have thus had more time to evolve unique chemical and physiological adaptations. Plus, the ocean environment can be much more extreme than most land environments. Adaptations that these aquatic organisms develop include the production of bioactive compounds for the purpose of self-defense, reproduction, and communication. We, at Deep Sea Pharmaceuticals, seek to implement these bioactive compounds into medicine to heal whatever ails you. But you don’t need to take my word for how INCREDIBLY AMAZING our medicinal products are, take a first-hand look at some of our tried and tested drugs!
Deep Sea Sponge Tumor Fighters: In the real world, these drugs are called Topsentin, Lasonolide, and Discodermalide just to name a few. Deep sea sponges are capable of producing unique chemicals to fight against various viruses, act as anti-tumor agents, and to disrupt the production of cancer cells.
Tunicate Treatment: There are many real world drugs created from tunicate bioactive compounds, one of which is called Ecteinascidin. Ecteinascidin, commonly referred to as ET-743, has been approved for treatment of breast, prostate, and pediatric cancers. The tunicates produce a chemical that blocks the transcription of DNA, which means cancer cells do not receive the instructions needed to continuously reproduce the harmful cancer cells. There has also been research into using ET-743 in conjunction with chemotherapy because it can also keep the cancer cells vulnerable to chemotherapy treatment.
Sea Whip Wonder Drug: This drug is known as Pseudopterosins and is derived from a compound produced from the octocoral sea whip. This compound acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and aids in the reduction of swelling and skin irritation. This compound also accelerates the wound healing process. The production of phospholipase A, an enzyme created during the natural healing processes of our bodies, causes uncomfortable inflammations. This compound works to inhibit, or stop, phospolipase A and speed up the healing process.
(My personal favorite) Cone Snail Pain Killers: In reality, this drug is called Zirconitide, or Conotoxin. The highly venomous cone snail is one of the deadliest animals in the sea, capable of producing a toxin that can deliver sweeping paralysis and kill a human in a matter of minutes. A compound is extracted from this same deadly venom and used as a highly effective pain killer. Zirconitide is injected into the spinal fluid where it blocks calcium channels in pain-transmitting nerve cells. In other words, any kind of pain we feel travels from the source, to our spinal cord, and up to our brain. Once it reaches our brain, we feel pain. With Zirconitide, the pain signal stops at our spinal cord and never reaches our brain. This drug, when used as a pain killer, has about 1000 times the potency of a similar (and much more common) drug called Morphine.
Don’t miss out on any of our wonder drugs from the deep sea! Act now and you will get 25% off your first purchase. But wait, the deals keep coming! When you spend $200 or more at Deep Sea Pharmaceuticals, you get a sample portion of Cone Snail Pain Killers FREE! Use the Cone Snail Pain Killers to treat any pain, from your common gun bullet wound to the unforgiving pain of getting your arm chopped off. Refer a friend and we will give you 30% off your next purchase of a Tunicate Treatment.
*SPOILER ALERT: DEEP SEA PHARMACEUTICALS DOES NOT EXIST!!! Also, the drug names in bold listed above are fake. But the effects of these drugs are very real, and they work! Most of these animals that produce these wonder chemicals are filter feeders and sessile, meaning they do not move. The waters can carry some incredibly harmful pathogens and parasites, not to mention the predators that could feed on the immobile filter feeders quite easily. For these reasons, these organisms have evolved some amazing defenses, some of which we have tried to implement in the creation of various pharmaceuticals.
Only a tiny fraction of deep ocean life has been discovered. There is immense potential for the finding of even more potent and beneficial chemical compounds within the deep blue. If we are creating drugs from the ocean that are successfully fighting against various cancers now, think of the possibilities of future deep sea discoveries. Never underestimate the critters within the deep blue sea. They just might save your life someday.
If you read this whole blog post, you are my hero! Thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave me a comment and feedback below. Also, let me know if there is any particular science topic you would like me to look at “through green tinted glasses” and I will write about it.
*All information contained in this blog post were derived from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA for short) as well as my own thoughts.
*I also used information acquired from the following website (Which you should visit to learn about even more drugs being tested from deep sea organisms.) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3783861/
Life through green tinted glasses 