Aqaba – Jordanian researchers have revealed that the ability of marine microorganisms living deep in the Gulf of Aqaba to produce natural compounds that are effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria is an important key to the development of new medicines to address one of the world's most serious health challenges.
اضافة اعلان
The researchers emphasize that the findings highlight the scientific and pharmaceutical importance of Jordan's marine resources, and put the obstacle on the global research map in the field of marine biotechnology, amid calls to continue investing in scientific research and transforming these results into value-added pharmaceutical and economic applications.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most serious global health challenges, with antibiotic deaths expected to rise in the coming decades, prompting researchers to turn to marine environments in search of new treatment alternatives.
The Gulf of Aqaba stands out as one of the most promising sites, due to its biodiversity and unique marine environment rich in natural compounds with potential medicinal uses.
Dr. Mamoun Irshidat, Head of the Molecular and Microbial Environment Laboratory at the University of Jordan, led a research work within a strategic academic alliance that included a group of researchers, including Prof. Dr. Malik Zahlaf (Professor of Genetic Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine), which was based on the research conducted within the doctoral theses of Dr. Razan Abu Assaf and Dr. Fatima Al-Jamal, as part of an effort to explore the potential of the depths of the Gulf of Aqaba through a comprehensive evaluation study of the antibacterial properties of three types of sponges This study is a milestone in the history of Jordanian scientific research, and establishes a new phase of institutional cooperation capable of transforming national natural resources into high-value-added pharmaceutical outputs, which keep pace with international standards and meet the urgent needs of the international health sector.
According to the leader of the research team, this journey of discovery would not have been possible without the use of the latest global marine technologies in the exploration of the depths, as the sample collection process took place in July 2022 using advanced manned submarines equipped with precision robotic arms of the "OceanXplorer" expedition, to dive these mechanisms to depths between 140 and 362 meters below sea level, recording exceptional temperatures ranging from 21.1 to 22.5 degrees Celsius and precise salinity levels, to extract three unique models from the Sponges that have been carefully preserved in a 70 percent ethanol solution, and under extremely cold temperatures to ensure that their bio-compounds remain intact.
He added that the process of DNA barcoding started using the latest genetic extraction techniques and "DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit" kits, through thermally programmed gene amplification processes and confirmation of results via agarose gel, to sending samples to Macrogen in South Korea for sequencing and matching them with global databases "BLAST" and "MEGA" software, which resulted in the precise identification of three rare species: "Stelletta fibrosa", "Dactylospongia elegans" and "Haliclona manglaris".
Irsheidat expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority for its great logistical support, which was the cornerstone of the success of this field mission, as well as appreciating the continuous support of the University of Jordan, especially the Graduate Research Fund, which funded the scientific process of the doctoral theses of Dr. Razan Abu Assaf and Dr. Fatima Al-Jamal.
He pointed out that the laboratory results came to culminate these strenuous efforts with amazing discoveries that turned the scientific balances, as the ethanol extracts of these sponges were subjected to harsh tests against a group of the most potent types of positive and gram-negative bacteria using the method of diffusion in agar pits, and the scientific results and the chemical arsenal revealed the identification of three rare types of sponges, namely: Stelletta fibrosa, Dactylospongia elegans and Haliclona manglaris.
Irsheidat pointed out that tests showed that Dactylospongia elegans sponge has a superior ability to fight the bacteria "Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin", as its extracts recorded wide inhibition zones ranging between (6-21 mm), as he provedLiquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses reveal a complex chemical arsenal of bioactive compounds such as gallic acid, caffeic acid, polynoquinone and dactyloquinone, lethal natural substances capable of penetrating bacterial cell walls and destroying strains that have eluded conventional antibiotics.
He pointed out that in this strategic study, we not only look at the Gulf of Aqaba as a beautiful body of water that pleases the beholders, but also stands in front of a strategic repository of undiscovered medical wealth that holds the keys to survival for humanity from the nightmare of drug-resistant bacteria, as marine sponges that live in these abysmal depths represent highly advanced biochemical factories, capable of pumping and filtering huge quantities of bacteria-rich water, which has forced them over millions of years to develop defense mechanisms and metabolic compounds Secondary unparalleled in wild organisms.
He added that this pure Jordanian discovery puts us in front of a national and ethical responsibility to complete these researches and convert these primary extracts into approved pharmaceutical drugs, which establishes a new phase of pharmaceutical sovereignty and places Jordan among the ranks of countries producing advanced medical knowledge.
For his part, Zahalaf stressed that this discovery represents an exceptional breakthrough that opens the door to the development of entirely new drug categories, stressing the need for concerted efforts by the public and private sectors to provide the necessary infrastructure for clinical trials.
He pointed out that the global medical sector is in a state of continuous depletion in its treatment options in the face of the development of microbes, and the superior ability of the extracts of the "Dactylospongia elegans" sponge to neutralize MRSA bacteria represents an exceptional scientific breakthrough that opens the door to the development of entirely new classes of antibiotics.
"The presence of compounds, such as polynaquinone and dactylloquinone, in effective concentrations gives us real hope in the design of pharmaceutical molecules capable of radically disrupting bacterial resistance mechanisms, and this requires concerted efforts by the public and private sectors to provide the necessary infrastructure for the development of these compounds and subject them to clinical trials, which will positively reflect on reducing the national treatment bill and reducing the mortality rates resulting from hospital-acquired infections," Zahalef added.
For his part, pharmacist Dr. Anas Al-Kafaween points out that this radical shift in the view of Jordan's natural resources imposes new challenges represented in the need to continue funding scientific research and providing advanced technical platforms for Jordanian researchers, so that they can probe the depths of other areas in the Gulf of Aqaba that may contain therapeutic secrets for other intractable diseases, such as cancer and viral diseases.
He added that this makes it imperative for Jordanian universities and scientific research support funds to direct the funding compass towards applied projects that have a direct impact on human health and the national economy, so that Aqaba remains the crown jewel of Jordan not only with its captivating beauty and ancient history, but also to become a beacon of science and healing, exporting life and hope to the world from the womb of its calm waves and its depths full of divine miracles discovered and obeyed by the solid Jordanian will and enlightened scientific minds that do not know the impossible in their relentless pursuit to serve humanity and the elevation of the country.
Experts agreed that these discoveries establish the concept of "marine science and medical tourism" and support sustainable "blue economy" trends, which will make Aqaba a destination for researchers, global pharmaceutical companies, and investors in the biotechnology sector who are looking for promising investment environments based on innovation and scientific research.
They added that it is necessary for the concerned government agencies and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority to develop regulating legislation that protects these genetic resources and ensures their exploitation in sustainable ways that do not disturb the delicate environmental balance of the Gulf, while providing investment incentives for the establishment of advanced marine research centers and AD factories.It relies on natural extracts, which will generate thousands of quality job opportunities for qualified Jordanian youth, and maximize the added value of national resources.
AlGhad
