THE EDITOR, Sir:
COLUMNIST MARTIN Henry (Daily Gleaner, June 24 2004) is generous, perhaps over-generous, in his recognition of my research on sea squirts. Nevertheless, in fairness and in recognition of other scientists' intellectual property rights, the story of the discovery of Ecteinascidin, a cancer-treating drug, needs
clarifying.
Ecteinascidia turbinata is an attractive orange-coloured animal common in inshore waters throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Twenty years ago American researchers discovered that this animal contained a number of active molecules, one of which, now known as Ecteinascidin, was found to be potent in arresting the development of certain cancers.
However, the active substance is present in such small quantity in the animal that it required very large amounts of animal material even to characterise the chemical nature of the molecule. It was at this stage that we at UWI first became involved when we were asked if we could supply the raw material for the American research. This, of course, had to be achieved in such a manner as to avoid destroying the entire population.
When a new research team in Ohio started work at a later date and very large amounts of material (kilogram quantities) were needed, we discovered that it was possible to harvest the animal on a sustainable basis. We found that if sufficient of the basal portion of a colony was left in place, a new generation of animals would grow from this base and the resource remained available for future use. It was on the understanding that harvesting could be sustainable that NRCA granted us a permit to collect and export the material.
Naturally UWI benefited financially for its involvement in this programme and those funds were used to support graduate student research in Kingston Harbour. To the best of my knowledge the credit for the discovery of Ecteinascidin belongs to American not European researchers and the European involvement arose when American researchers sold some of their findings to a Spanish pharmaceutical company.
The news release to which your columnist refers appears to be the same as that which I have received and which draws attention to the fact that EU funding is being used to support clinical trials of the drug in a number of centres in European countries.
Your columnist is correct. I am smiling; not because I or any of my colleagues had any direct role in discovering Ecteinascidin, but because our knowledge and understanding of the basic biology of the animal made it possible to turn the humble squirt into a resource which could be harvested. I am smiling also because this work demonstrates that basic research, which often seems to others to have no practical importance, can, and sometimes does, lead to unforeseen benefits.
Iam, etc.,
IVAN GOODBODY
Department of Life Sciences,
University of the West Indies,
Mona Campus.
