Chemical profiling of marine-derived fungal strains for natural products with antiinflammatory activity

There is an urgent need for new drugs to improve the quality of living of patients suffering from arthritis and inflammatory disorders. In the UK alone, rheumatoid arthritis affects more than 400,000 people per year. Autoinflammatory diseases occur when, for reasons that still remain unclear, the immune system in the body mistakenly attacks itself, producing joint swelling or inflammation— amongst the most common symptoms. Inflammatory abnormalities are involved in a variety of human diseases, from rheumatoid arthritis to sarcoidosis. Our approach is focused on isolating and characterising active compounds in extracts of fungal strains that have previously been shown to display anti-inflammatory potential. The goal of this project is to contribute to the early stage of drug discovery for musculoskeletal conditions, ultimately seeking an improvement in the quality of living of those who have to live with constant and sometimes unbearable pain from arthritis and inflammatory diseases.