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Sea Cucumber Compound Shows Promise in Blocking Cancer Enzyme
The marine invertebrate may hold the key to stopping the spread of cancer.
Sea cucumbers,known as the ocean’s janitors for thier role in cleaning the seabed and recycling nutrients,may offer a novel approach to cancer treatment.
Research indicates that a sugar compound found in sea cucumbers can effectively block Sulf-2, an enzyme known to promote cancer growth. The study,led by the University of Mississippi,was published in Glycobiology.
“Marine life produces compounds with unique structures that are often rare or not found in terrestrial vertebrates,” said Marwa farrag,a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the UM Department of BioMolecular Sciences.
“And so, the sugar compounds in sea cucumbers are unique. Thay aren’t commonly seen in other organisms. That’s why they’re worth studying.”
Farrag, the study’s lead author, collaborated with researchers from Ole Miss and Georgetown University.
Human cells are covered in glycans,which aid in cell dialog and immune responses. Cancer cells alter the expression of enzymes like Sulf-2, modifying glycan structures and facilitating cancer spread.
“The cells in our body are essentially covered in ‘forests’ of glycans,” said Vitor Pomin, associate professor of pharmacognosy. “And enzymes change the function of this forest – essentially prunes the leaves of that forest.”
“If we can inhibit that enzyme, theoretically, we are fighting against the spread of cancer.”
The research team discovered that fucosylated chondroitin sulfate from the sea cucumber Holothuria floridana can effectively inhibit Sulf-2,using both computer modeling and laboratory testing.
“We were able to compare what we generated experimentally with what the simulation predicted, and they were consistent,” said Robert Doerksen, professor of medicinal chemistry. “That gives us more confidence in the results.”
According to Joshua Sharp, UM associate professor of pharmacology, the sea cucumber compound does not interfere with blood clotting, unlike other Sulf-2 regulating medications.
“as you can imagine, if you are treating a patient with a molecule that inhibits blood coagulation, then one of the adverse effects that can be pretty devastating is uncontrolled bleeding,” he said. “So, it’s very promising that this particular molecule that we’re working with doesn’t have that effect.”
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