Could the secret to halting cancer’s deadly spread be hidden beneath the ocean waves?
Key Points at a Glance
- Researchers identified a sea cucumber sugar compound that blocks Sulf-2, an enzyme promoting cancer spread.
- The compound is unique to marine life and doesn’t interfere with blood clotting, unlike other cancer-related drugs.
- Future work involves synthetically producing the compound for safe and scalable use.
Sea cucumbers, long considered the humble janitors of the ocean floor, may soon be hailed as allies in the fight against one of humanity’s deadliest diseases. In a groundbreaking University of Mississippi-led study, researchers discovered that a sugar compound derived from these marine creatures can effectively inhibit Sulf-2—an enzyme that cancer cells use to alter their surface structure and spread throughout the body.
Published in Glycobiology, the study focused on the compound fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, found in the sea cucumber Holothuria floridana. Through a combination of advanced computer modeling and laboratory testing, the researchers demonstrated that this compound binds to Sulf-2 and halts its function, potentially preventing cancer cells from invading new tissues.
“These marine sugars have unique structural features not found in terrestrial animals,” said lead author Marwa Farrag, a doctoral candidate in BioMolecular Sciences. “Their distinctiveness is what makes them so valuable to study.”
Unlike current Sulf-2 inhibitors, which often pose a risk of bleeding due to interference with blood clotting, the sea cucumber compound operates cleanly, without such side effects. This advantage makes it a promising candidate for development into a safe and effective cancer therapy.
However, while the compound holds great potential, practical hurdles remain. Sea cucumbers are not easily farmed in quantities large enough for drug production. As a result, the next challenge lies in chemically synthesizing the compound in the lab—a critical step toward broader testing in animal models and, eventually, clinical trials.
“It’s not just about discovering a molecule,” said pharmacology professor Joshua Sharp. “It’s about ensuring it’s feasible to produce and safe for long-term use.”
What’s particularly exciting about this research is its multidisciplinary approach, combining pharmacognosy, chemistry, and computational biology. The collaboration reflects the increasingly complex nature of biomedical challenges and underscores the role of cross-disciplinary innovation in solving them.
With continued support from the National Institutes of Health and further synthetic development, these findings could usher in a new class of marine-based cancer therapeutics. Sea cucumbers may not just clean the seafloor—they could cleanse the body of one of its deadliest threats.
Source: University of Mississippi
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