Clinical Drug Experience Knowledgebase

Squalamine was discovered by Michael Zasloff and colleagues in a search for anti-microbial compounds in the tissues of primitive vertebrates. The team speculated that animals with primitive immune systems, such as sharks and lampreys, might utilize antimicrobial compounds as a significant component of their immune repertoire. The dogfish shark was the first shark species studied since it was accessible for research purposes at the Mount Desert Marine Biological Laboratory. In addition, large numbers of dogfish are harvested annually for consumption and could provide sufficient tissue for extraction during the early stages of compound isolation and characterization. The chemical synthesis was developed by William A. Kinney and colleagues.   ^Wikipedia