Panama's Biodiversity: A Cure For Cancer?

The island of Coiba is currently a National Park protected by law and within this year new species of animals and coral, indigenous to the area have been discovered. It provides a wealth of scientific knowledge in terms of flora and fauna and now it may even provide a cure for cancer.

The compound called Coibamida A, in honor of the place it was found in, is extracted from the corals found in the seas of the island of Coiba. It is currently in Pre-Clinical phase as the National Health Institute in the United States has observed that this substance works against cancer cells in a way that is quite different from any other cancer medication known until now. Coibamida A is in currently being tested on animals which is the pre-clinical stage however scientists are hopeful that it is a breakthrough in cancer research.

The organization in Panama responsible for this research and other biological research intended to find cures in nature is INDICASAT, www.indicasat.org.pa, through the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group funded by the United States through its National Health Institute and the National Science Foundation. The Panama ICBG focuses on drug research through the collection of plants, microbes and marine organisms from Panama's vast biodiversity. Bioassays for drug research on malaria, leishmaniasis and Chaga's disease are currently being conducted and have yielded compounds that may be active in these diseases.

Looking to nature for cures is as old as man, today many of the drugs that commonly treat diseases are obtained from nature even though technology is capable of replicating or synthetically creating these and many other compounds. Today almost 50% of drugs come from substances found in nature.

INDICASAT was created in 2002 to promote the development of science in Panama as in the long term this will benefit the social and economical development of the country. It was created in Panama as it has access to both oceans, has some of the highest regional plant biodiversity in the world and is part of the biological corridor between Central and South America all of which make it excellent territory for bioprospecting. The final intention of this initiative is that any revenue resulting from drug discoveries stays in the country instead of being diluted and returning only as royalties from drug companies.

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Panama's Biodiversity: A Cure For Cancer?