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Squalamine

Squalamine is a chemical produced by the stomach and liver of the spiny dogfish. Squalamine can also be produced in the laboratory.

Squalamine is used as an antibiotic to fight bacterial infections. The laboratory-produced version of squalamine is sometimes applied directly to the skin as an antibiotic. Some scientists are studying squalamine to see if it might be effective for solid tumors in children.

How does Squalamine?

Squalamine is believed to prevent the growth of bacteria that cause infections. Squalamine also contains chemicals that appear to prevent the formation and growth of tumors.

How effective is squalamine?

There is not enough scientific data to say how effective squalamine is for cancer, diabetes-related eye conditions and infections (applied to the skin or taken orally). Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of squalamine in these applications.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information to say whether squalamine is safe and harmless or what side effects it may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of squalamine during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid squalamine.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of squalamine with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of squalamine depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for squalamine. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Kikuchi K, Bernard EM, Sadownik A, et al. Antimicrobial activities of squalamine mimics. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1997;41:1433-8. View abstract.
  2. Magainin Pharmaceuticals announces new research program for anti-angiogenesis agent - Squalamine - at Georgetown Univ Med Ctr. PRNewswire. www.prnewswire.com (Accessed 22 January 2000).
  3. Magainin Presents Neuroblastoma Data for Squalamine at AACR Meeting. Available at: www.prnewswire.com (Accessed April 3, 2000).
  4. Moore KS, Wehrli S, Roder H, et al. Squalamine: an aminosterol antibiotic from the shark. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1993;90:1354-8. view abstract.
  5. Sills AK Jr, Williams JI, Tyler BM, et al. Squalamine inhibits angiogenesis and solid tumor growth in vivo and perturbs embryonic vasculature. Cancer Res 1998;58:2784-92. view abstract.