To combat multidrug-resistant pathogens and cancer, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) supports a project under its Tuklas Lunas Program that studies antibiotic and anticancer drug properties from unexplored and untapped Streptomyces species residing in ocean sediments of the Philippine archipelago. 

The project entitled, “Early-Stage Development of Antibiotic and Anticancer Leads from Philippine Marine Streptomyces,” which is led by Dr. Doralyn S. Dalisay from University of San Agustin, is an immediate follow-through of its Phase 1 project entitled, “Metabolomics-driven Discovery of Antimicrobial Drug leads and Anticancer Screening of Extracts from Marine Sediment-derived Actinomycetes of Iloilo” led by Dr. Jonel P. Saludes, and was conceptualized  in response to the emergence of antimicrobial and chemotherapeutic resistance that became serious threats to public health.

Building on its Phase 1 project, the Phase 2A component is expected to produce gram-scale raw material via solid fermentation as source of antibiotic and anticancer leads to conduct the secondary assays for the identification and validation of the molecular target, toxicity profiles, and preclinical testing that includes in-vitro and in-vivo Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMETox) profiling. The data obtained will be used for technology licensing of the compounds by start-up pharmaceutical companies. 

Meanwhile, the Phase 2B  will continue the discovery efforts to supply the pipeline for additional antibiotics and anticancer leads, which will enter validation as they become available.

To date, the project team was able to perform the large-scale fermentation of the Streptomyces biomass and initially performed the purification, isolation, and bioactivity screening of these compounds.

This project started in June 2022 and is expected to be completed by May 2025. 

Upon completion, it will be able to generate drug candidates with sufficient data for licensing that may potentially be developed to treat ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) pathogens-induced infections and ovarian, breast, colon, and lung cancers.