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Abstract
Context: Bryostatins represent an important group of pharmaceutically promising substances. These compounds are produced by commensal microorganisms naturally occurring in marine invertebrates, mainly in bryozoans. The most frequently investigated substance is bryostatin-1, which is a highly oxygenated macrolide with a polyacetate backbone.
Objective: The aim of this work was to summarize documented preclinical and clinical effects of bryostatin-class compounds.
Methods: A literature search was made of Medline and Web of Science databases in 2012.
Results and conclusion: Our review showed that bryostatins are potent agonists of protein kinase C. In addition to this, their significant antineoplastic activity against several tumor types has also been established and described. Bryostatin's anticancer activity has been proved against various cancer types. Moreover, significant results have been achieved by using bryostatin-1 in combination with other therapies, including combination with vaccine testing. Concerning other important properties that bryostatins possess, their ability to sensitize some resistant cells to chemotherapy agents, or immunoactivity and further stimulating growth of new neural connections, and enhancing effect on long-term memory are worth mentioning. In particular, some new bryostatin analogs could represent potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer and other diseases in future.
Acknowledgements
We thank Mgr. Jitka Chromeckova and Mr. Willem Westra for improving the English of this paper. The study was supported by project GACR P503/12/0337. Final processing of this study was supported by project CZ.1.07/2.3.00/09.0076.